


Beyond the Eternal

by KiyaSama



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Death, Comedy, Dark, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, M/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-01 19:25:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 144,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1047677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiyaSama/pseuds/KiyaSama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Born with untapped powers beyond his imagination, Uchiha Sasuke has become a target for spirit warrior clans who wish to claim him. (Un)Fortunately, the seasoned veteran, Uzumaki Naruto, finds himself assigned with the unenviable task of protecting the young man and honing his skills before it’s much too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Prelude to a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> I blame the show, _Kyōkai no Kanata_ (Beyond the Boundary), as well as one of my all-time favorite shows – _Yami no Matsuei_ (Descendants of Darkness) for this story. To be honest, it’s been a while since I saw the latter (years!) and _Kyōkai_ sorta just brought back all those feelings again, and then I started thinking of sticking all the Naruto characters in such a setting and voila! Fingers started moving on keyboard *lol* So pardon if this plot seems ‘familiar’, because I’m going to try my darnest to make it as ‘unique’ and ‘realistic’ as possible despite its obvious supernatural themes. 
> 
> [Please note that you do not need to have watched the shows to understand what's going on]
> 
> Story is going to be mostly written in the third person (except for Sasuke’s inner dialogues/interludes/whatever I decide to make it) Hah!
> 
> Thank you for stopping by and reading, and let’s hope my muse cooperates and lets me finish this. 
> 
> **P.S:** As always, I welcome feedback and enjoy reading your thoughts on it. I try my best to respond to everyone, so you know you’re not being ignored. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> * * *
> 
>   
> **P.P.S:** My sincere thanks for the uber talented, Mel, for the permission to display her wonderful art for the story. Thank you!!
> 
>  

To Whom It May Concern,

If you are reading this, it means I am no longer with you on the earthly realm.

I might walk amongst you, talk, eat, breathe and adopt your every mannerism, but my very essence has been transformed into one where Death no longer looms over me with its spidery tendrils. I can take a bullet to the heart, bear with the ghastly pain, but will recover just before you have the time to reload your weapon.

Yes, you could consider me an Immortal, but I do not prey on humans like the fables of vampires or other creatures of the night. I do not crave human blood, never have and never will. So do not fear. They are lowly compared to my current status, but that is another story to tell.

My life story is anything but ordinary, beginning with the unfortunate (but foreseeable) elimination of all I held near and dear to my heart. You could say I had nothing else to live for, and my existence on this earth was simply a burden I could no longer bear.

I was given a choice to live this way, and I took it without hesitation. Why? It was nothing complicated, I can assure you (although getting to this point was anything but uncomplicated), but a simple decision all the same.

_I chose to be with **him.** _

I choose to walk the ends of the earth with him until our time is up – whenever that fateful day arrives – and I will have absolutely no regrets. I will continue to fight by his side, and to be there whenever he needs me (though he pretends he doesn’t most of the time).

Right now he waits outside impatiently, probably grumbling about me being a damn ‘slow poke’ and still behaving like mere humans, but I cannot help it. I have only been at this for about a month, and it is hard to let go of what I’ve been used to for all seventeen years of my life. He is a veteran at this, and obviously older than I am, and yet he does not look a day over twenty for that was the year in which his mortal life ‘ended’. 

_Over two hundred years ago._

But I digress with things that are of no concern to you, Reader. For now, please be content with the idea that I continue to live amongst you, while watching and protecting over you every single day. You might not see us at work, but you should consider yourself lucky your human eyes do not see the darkness and horrors we are privy to. 

This is the life I’ve chosen, and it is with a man who still fails to see just how much he means to me. He might consider me a nuisance most of the time, but I take comfort in the small fond smile he gives to me once in a while, or his rare displays of ‘affection’ by actually paying the tab whenever we stop for a bite while on duty. 

He never got the hints while I was still human, so what luck do I have now that I’m Immortal? Only time will tell (and what a lot of time we’ll have, Reader).

Until then, I leave you with this thought; cherish this fickle thing called Life. Live it fully, enjoy it for all its worth, and may you never have to see the day it all comes crashing down in flames.

Come to think of it…that was the first time I ever met him...but that is another story for another time.

Farewell for now,  
(for I just might be that slight gust of wind to brush your skin when you least expect)  
Until we meet again.

Uchiha Sasuke  
9/12/xx


	2. Azure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **S.W.A.T** – Spirit Warriors Alliance and Tribunal  
>  **Yōkai** (for story purposes) – supernatural beings usually manifested from the darkness of the human spirit. Most _yōkai_ completely overwhelm the human and shape shift into a (usually grotesque) form of their choice. For the most part, they co-exist with humans without being noticed. However, malevolent _yōkai_ can ‘break free’ and create problems, and that is when the spirit warriors step in.

  


* * *

**S.W.A.T Headquarters**  
 **Kyoto Prefecture**

**One Year Ago:**

Sensible black heels _click-clacked_ their way across the polished wood floors accentuated by towering marble pillars (an homage to Baroque) and a high glass ceiling which shimmered with the promise of a beautiful autumn day. 

Broken only by the sound of her light humming, Katō Shizune made her way past stoic and immobile companions with barely a glance; their ghostly whispers and silent cries of battles won and lost from the dawn of civilization, no longer as potent as they once were. Once upon a time, she might have been awed and intimidated at the very idea of working in such a place, but as the years have rolled on by; the petite black-haired private secretary was now more than comfortable in her own skin. 

She gave polite smiles to the custodians on duty, weaving her way through doorways and corridors in a way that might have confused anyone else.

The usual visitors were yet to arrive. It was the quiet before the storm; a welcome reprieve when Time seemed to stand still and simply _exhale_ in gratitude. In about two hours, these hallways would be loitered with humans (and considering a very special exhibition was in town, it was definitely bound to get crowded by midday at least). Locals and tourists would peruse each hallowed hall, ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over the nation’s historical treasures; cameras and recorders out in full force as families, friends, couples or the lone browser, were eager to capture moments they would treasure for a lifetime. 

There was no doubt that the Kyoto National Museum was Japan’s pride and joy since it opened its doors in 1897; something the directors and sponsors were willing to continue promoting until their dying breath. It was perfectly fine for the human population to continue believing that this marvel of architectural excellence was simply nothing more than an ancient building housing ‘old stuff’ for their viewing pleasure. For nothing – absolutely _nothing_ \- was to dispel with that premise, and for the select (or elite) few who _really_ knew the truth, their vow to secrecy was absolute.

Katō Shizune was just one of the elite.

She stepped into the elevator and watched its doors close soundlessly before her. To the normal human eye, the innocuous numbers and symbols on the left signified floors leading to other exhibitions. However, it took a series of special combinations – fingers moving faster than was humanly possible - to reveal the other door _behind_ her; perfectly masked with its deceptive exquisite wood paneling. 

She walked into organized chaos; a far cry from the emptiness and quiet of the other world. The floor was a maze of haphazard cubicles, each containing men and women (of all shapes and sizes) either working on computers with equal expressions of weariness or annoyance on their faces, scowling over piles of paperwork, shrieking over exploding chakra surges (seemed like Aki-kun was unable to control her fire technique (again!) and was currently having to put out the flames forming on her desk), or vanishing and re-appearing in such annoying fashion even Shizune had to frown at how lazy some of her co-workers were becoming. 

“I swear some of you should be fired,” she muttered beneath her breath, ignoring the lovesick smile thrown her way from some newbie recruit - whose name she couldn’t remember at the moment - while ducking to prevent the sudden wave of documents nearly taking off her head.

“Sai!” she hissed irritably. 

The pale-faced young man, with the disarming smile (read as creepy to Shizune), tucked the large paint brush into his jacket and gave a mock bow of apology.

“I was just trying to get the papers to my desk on time,” he explained; carefully watching the wings he had drawn on the sheaf of papers dissipate into thin air as they landed neatly on said desk across the room. It really was a convenient way of doing things, but Shizune wished he’d be more tactful with his decisions to use his abilities in the work place. 

“You’re late,” he added as he fell in step beside her. “That’s unlike you.”

“Something came up,” she replied curtly; making the turn to lead them down a much quieter corridor. Sunlight filtered through the narrow windows to cut fine blades upon their figures; shadows elongating with every movement.

Sai noticed the dossiers she clutched tightly against her chest, and his lips quirked knowingly. “I see. This wouldn’t have anything to do with the recent activity in the city, would it?”

Shizune spared him a glance, hating the way those inky black eyes always seemed to know so much. Was it any wonder he was considered one of the best spirit warrior spies in the organization? He really was a frightening yet fascinating person. 

“It could be,” she finally replied reluctantly. “I take it you have already been briefed?”

Sai shrugged slender shoulders. “Nothing concrete yet, so -”

Their conversation ended abruptly as the door before them was flung open to reveal a flushed pink-haired young woman.

“Ah, Sakura-cha -”

“She’s been waiting,” Sakura panted with a wave of her hand into the office behind her. “Sorry, I’m a bit out of breath. She made me go all the way to Tokyo just to get her favorite tea!” She spat out the last word as if poisoned, and Shizune had to stifle her giggle for she knew exactly what Sakura was going through. So yes, most spirit world warriors had the ability to travel long distances in a short amount of time, and Haruno Sakura was definitely one of the best at teleportation. Was it any wonder their boss would wish to exploit that ability for all it was worth?

“Come in here already, Shizune!” came the bellow from within. “Took you long enough, damn it.”

Blushing at the reprimand, the brunette stepped into the large (and rather imposing) office with its magnificent view of the Higashiyama Mountains, with Sai and Sakura flanking her sides as if for protection. Silently, she was grateful she wasn’t alone to face the heavy-bosomed woman sitting behind the desk, but it didn’t deter the stern look directed at her all the same. 

A direct descendant of one of the most powerful spirit warrior clans in history – the Senju – (and it was believed that they were the ones who began the organization in the first place) – there was no better person to be in charge. However, no one knew how old Tsunade was (though many claimed she might be pushing the four-hundred-year mark), and it didn’t help that she still had the features and figure of a woman in her mid-to-late thirties. Her long blond hair was clasped in two loose ponytails, her blemish-free skin interrupted by the lone rhombus-shaped scar on her forehead. Her brown eyes could flash with mirth or annoyance, depending on the situation, but right now – as she accepted the dossier from Shizune – they were filled with a dark impatience that was not lost on the trio before her. There was a restless energy in the air. In fact, not just at the moment, but one that must have been felt by everyone in the Spirit World over the past week. 

“Hm,” came the lone grunt from their leader as she scanned the documents before her. “As I expected…nothing to it now but to…”

As she muttered to herself, she began to make a series of seals with her fingers; a rapid movement of the digits that never failed to impress those who were witness to it. Sakura and Sai took a step back for they knew this might be something important, but Tsunade waved for them to remain just as two figures suddenly appeared in the room to join them. 

“Goddamnit, Tsunade,” the larger and older of the two grumbled as he stuffed the remnants of a sandwich, he had been eating, into his mouth. He chewed once, swallowed and glared at the smirking woman; his shocking long white hair almost sweeping the floor as he stomped with impatience. “Stop summoning me when I’m in the middle of something!” 

“And good morning to you too, Jiraiya,” she greeted amiably enough. She turned to the younger, who was watching the interaction with faint amusement in his eyes. Perhaps his lips might have shown the same if it wasn’t covered by a breathable black mesh cloth as if protecting his nose and mouth. Unlike his older companion, who was dressed in layers of thick traditional kimono complete with wooden slippers, he was in casual wear, content to remain modern in a long-sleeved shirt and dark slacks. 

“Kakashi.”

“Good morning, Tsunade-sama,” he greeted with a polite bow. His spiky, white hair bobbed with the motion, and for a moment his bored gaze skimmed over the two gawking warriors and the private secretary before dismissing them just as quickly.

Said gawking warriors – Sai and Sakura – were still finding it hard to believe they were in the presence of three of the most powerful warriors in all of the Spirit World. If Tsunade was in charge of the Southern Division (hence their base being in Kyoto), then Jiraiya was their leader for the Northern Division with its headquarters in Tokyo. His towering build and boisterous persona was a sharp contradiction to those who met him at first. Though he was likely to crack a joke with you, Jiraiya’s skills as a spirit warrior had made him legendary for centuries. 

His disciple was none other than Hatake Kakashi, the quiet yet devoted warrior who was notorious for his efficient spirit battles. His left eye, which was badly scarred, was believed to contain special powers belonging to the Uchiha clan. No one was sure how he had gotten it in the first place, and Kakashi was content to let the rumors and legend around his power grow without much input. Unfortunately, he was also known for having quite a few perverted hobbies, but it didn’t diminish the respect he garnered from all those who knew him. 

If these two had to be summoned by Tsunade, then the younger warriors knew that this case was definitely something huge.

“You two know why I’ve called you here,” Tsunade was saying as she motioned for the two men to sit down. She stopped long enough to recognize a new visitor, who oinked its way across the room to jump onto her lap. “Hey there, sweetie,” she cooed to her pet pig – Tonton. “Have you finished lunch?”

Tonton grunted in response before settling onto her mistress’s lap in content. Satisfied that the pig wasn’t about to gnaw on her documents, Tsunade turned to her waiting guests.

“He just turned sixteen, and they are beginning to notice,” she stated cryptically. However, Jiraiya and Kakashi must have known what she was talking about because their faces creased into frowns of thought. “You’ve done well protecting him all this time, Kakashi, but I’m afraid your abilities might no longer be able to keep up with him if it continues at this rate.”

Kakashi nodded in understanding. He was more than aware of how dangerous the situation had become.

“The last Uchiha,” Jiraiya muttered as he thumbed through the dossier which had a high-school photograph of a sullen yet good-looking dark-haired teen in the front. “What a dreadful and cursed clan.”

“Yes, an unfortunate history, but one that must not repeat itself,” Tsunade agreed with a slight nod of her head. “Kakashi has done well managing to let him live a normal life without drawing the attention of the malevolent _yōkai_ , but with his latent powers being displayed almost subconsciously, that young man is going to need someone even more powerful to control them should they get out of control.” She thumbed through some folders before her before withdrawing one from the middle of the pack. “I think you both know the only person who is capable of handling the job, don’t you?”

Kakashi’s lips firmed, while Jiraiya sighed heavily before speaking. “That irresponsible brat, eh? I can just picture his face when we tell him his new assignment.”

“I think he’s done some growing up over the years,” Tsunade defended with a wry smile. “And considering you were his beloved _sensei_ for some time -”

“He drove me nuts!” Jiraiya protested, though it wasn’t hard to hear the fondness laced within those words. “I had to live with and teach that brat for over fifty years! All this gray hair is because of him.”

Sakura and Shizune stifled giggles at the mock pained look of suffering on the legendary warrior’s face. Tsunade rolled her eyes and turned to the silent man. 

“Well? Kakashi? What do you think?”

He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. “It is a wise choice,” he agreed with a nod. “But I am still wary of his unpredictability especially if he himself cannot control his powers when the time comes. Uzumaki Naruto can be a loose cannon and considering he’s still not over the last ‘accident’ that took place because of his lack of discipline, I worry about him going at this alone.”

There was a brief (but heavy) pause in the room at Kakashi’s declaration, for they all knew exactly what he was talking about. 

“There’s no doubt using him is a risk,” Jiraiya finally said quietly; his features now solemn and pensive. “However, I’d rather he do the job than rely on any other mere spirit warrior. I am not averse to him having backup, so we can choose one or two other people to be his bodyguards – so to speak – in case of an emergency.”

“We don’t have to look very far then,” Tsunade agreed with a smile directed at the couple, who had been listening raptly all this time. When they realized she was talking about them, Sakura let out a gasp of shock while Sai simply raised his brows in surprise. 

“I am entrusting Uzumaki Naruto to two of my finest spirit warriors,” Tsunade explained with pride. “Sai might be the perfect spy, but he has been a student of Yamato for over a hundred years, and I’m sure he might have learned a thing or two about suppressing Naruto’s chakra should it become unstable. Haruno Sakura is my beloved student, and not only possesses a smart intellect and the ability to teleport, but her medical skills will come in handy should either Sasuke or Naruto need to be healed during or after a battle. The three of them should be more than enough to handle the user of those damned abilities most of the scrupulous _yōkai_ desire.”

“The ability to wield and use the Sharingan, Susanoo, Amaterasu and even the worst of them all – Izanagi.” Jiraiya whistled beneath his breath. “What a monster.”

“We are all monsters in our own ways,” Tsunade said with a small smile. “And there is no doubt that the yōkai can smell his powers and are now drawn to him. He will begin to encounter more and more of them with every passing day. Our goal is to prevent him from misusing his abilities and creating even more of a disaster than the last time an Uchiha went berserk . The quicker we assign Naruto’s team to him, the better.”

“Speaking of troublesome monsters…where is he?” Jiraiya asked with a raised brow. “I’d think he’d be here with us while we discussed this.”

“I’ll fetch him,” Kakashi volunteered as he rose to his feet slowly. “If I know Naruto, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find him.”

And before anyone else in the room could get another word in, Kakashi was gone with nothing more than a whiff of vapor in his wake.

* * *

He dreamed.

Behind closed lashes, he dreamed.

Sepia, orange, and coffee leaves flitted from the thick branches above him, as if baptizing his prone form with its yearly dying rituals. 

_Autumn is here,_ the trees seemed to whisper with every gentle breeze. _It is time for us to shed the old, shiver naked during the Winter and return with brand new clothing in the Spring. Now that we have revealed ourselves to you, will you not do the same, oh Immortal One?_

His lips twitched in a rueful smile, but he remained immobile; simply content to lay here on parched grass with his hands beneath his head. 

Around him the first batch of tourists walked right by without noticing. It wasn’t as if he was invisible. It was simply their excitement of having to visit the museum that they failed to pay attention to the ‘bum’ snoozing away. He was too lazy to put up a barrier – a sure fire way to become really invisible to the human eye – and besides…what was the point of doing it? His barriers were never that strong anyway. 

He sighed and he dreamed.

A baby’s impatient cry, a mother’s soothing words, happy laughter from young people in love, the grimace and wince from an old man who has to stop to catch his breath from walking too long. The arguing couple (someone forgot to bring the goddamn camera for Christ’s sake!), the lonely heavy-set woman eating by herself on a bench. She will later go home to an empty apartment, sit before a computer screen and pretend to her friends - in that other world- that she found herself a hot new beau. She would probably insult a few people and relish in her ability to be the queen of her little make-believe world, but out here…

_(you really are nothing)_

In his dreams, he could see and hear them all as clear as if they were speaking directly into his ear. Every unspoken sigh, cry, or bellow of pain and suffering from humans they would rather not share in public. Once upon a time, he had been like one of them, but damn…it’s been so long since that day, he’s almost forgotten what it’s really like; to see the world through their eyes, to savor the richness that is Life in its purest. 

Now his world is a dull shade of purple; a constant amalgamation of colors depending on the level of _yōkai_ in any one area. Out here at SWAT – it’s manageable. The light azure hue is not so bad and it’s soothing to his senses. There is less ‘noise’ and ‘chaos’ here, and left to him, he’d rather not leave for the rest of his life. There was a reason the headquarters was in this location. Malicious _yōkai_ rarely came here, and if they did, they were of the weak kind; those that could be taken out with a simple spell cast in its direction. The spiritual barrier protecting this place was so powerful, it was a miracle they didn’t spontaneously combust just by breathing. 

_(ah fuck)_

He heard the familiar footsteps amidst the many hundred others, and he couldn’t help stiffening a little though he did not move from his position. He sighed in silence for he knew that for _him_ to show up, something heavy was on the menu. Hatake Kakashi wouldn’t be caught dead strolling the gardens for no apparent reason, which could only mean –

“Lunch break already, Naruto?” came the low tease with not much humor in it. He could feel the shadow of the older man over him, and still he did not stir. Or bother to acknowledge his presence with an answer.

He was, however, definitely not expecting the sudden hard punch to his gut, sending him doubling over to his side in agony and expelling a painful gust of breath at the rude awakening. Lashes flew open to pin furious blue eyes at the unapologetic man now on his haunches beside him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kakashi placed a finger against his parted lips, casting a silent spell that wormed its way upon Naruto’s tongue, down his throat, and into his stomach like liquid fire. 

_(son-of-a-bitch!)_

“That should shut you up for a few minutes while I speak,” Kakashi said with a wry smile as he suffered the hate burning within those eyes. “I know we didn’t part ways on friendly terms the last time we spoke -”

He received the middle finger for that exposition, which elicited a chuckle in response. 

“But I can assure you that this time, it’s a little different.” His smile became a frown of thought, and Naruto; perhaps sensing that the bullshit was over and it was time to get down to business, stop cursing inside his head long enough to listen. “Tsunade and Jiraiya need your help with the Uchiha kid.”

At Naruto’s widening eyes and furious shake of head, Kakashi nodded in understanding.

“Yes, yes, I know he was mine for all these years, and I think you’re probably trying to say that he’s my problem and I should deal with it, but unfortunately, his powers are beginning to get too strong for me to control. You, apparently, are the only one able to deal with them should they become an issue.”

Naruto made more frantic gestures, literally turning red in the face at the injustice of it all.

Kakashi sighed and ran fingers through his hair restlessly. “Yes, I’m sure you’re also worried about your powers, but they will be assigning Haruno Sakura and Sai to help should you get into any trouble.” He scowled and reached out to stop Naruto’s writhing by cupping his cheeks hard. “You _do_ have the ability to control yourself, don’t you?”

Naruto’s response came in a form of a thunderous “are-you-shitting-me?” look that brought another smile to Kakashi’s face. 

(my, how much you’ve grown…or not)

Hard to believe that he had met this kid - well young man - over two hundred years ago on the streets of Kyoto with nothing more than a somewhat rusty sword to his name. To think that he would be the one to discover the last of the Uzumaki clan - at least it was what they had believed at the time - was amazing in itself. 

For starters, Naruto did not look anything like his fabled clan of powerful spirit warriors. While the Uzumaki prided themselves on having hair as red as blood, Naruto’s was as yellow and as golden as the sun on a summer’s day. His blue eyes were a feature that made him stand out even more; those brilliant orbs flashing with a hidden mirth only he could be privy to. His generous mouth was flanked by mysterious scars on his cheeks; scars that were finally discovered to be the aftereffects of being the bearer of the most powerful _biju_ ability in all of the spirit world. 

The carefree young man had been unaware of his powers until they learned the unfortunate story of why he had grown up an orphan. How terrible a burden it must be to realize you were the cause of your parents and an entire village’s demise. And perhaps it was that inherent pain he had masked with his wise cracks and troublesome antics during his teenage years. He had become a _ronin_ , and that was how Kakashi met him during an unsuccessful raid at the inn he had been spending the night with Jiraiya. One look at the blond with the loud mouth and crass attitude, and Jiraiya made up his mind to become his mentor whether he liked it or not.

“If you’re done staring at me,” came the sudden dry comment that jarred Kakashi from his thoughts. He blinked in surprise as Naruto swirled his tongue (rather seductively unbeknownst to him) and spat out as if tasting something disgusting. 

“Hmm…seems you’re now better at dispelling my spells,” Kakashi said wryly, while doing his best to ignore just how sinful that motion of tongue against teeth had been moments earlier. “How long have you been able to do that?”

“Long enough,” Naruto replied as he shrugged his head away from the older man’s grasp. He patted his cheeks as if to get the blood flowing back into them and sat away with a pout. “I’m not doing it. Funny you all decide to come to me now after what happened last time.”

“It was an accident, wasn’t it?” Kakashi replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “We all make mistakes -”

“…not when you burn down an entire building,” Naruto grumbled. “I killed innocent people because of this stupid…” He looked down at himself as if unable to believe he actually existed. “Anyway…I’m not responsible for looking after your problem. You all should leave me alone.”

“Surely you must have sensed it by now,” Kakashi prodded as Naruto had lain back on the ground with his back to him. “The new wave of malevolent _yōkai_ showing up in the area? You’ve sensed the different energy around the city, haven’t you?”

“None of my business.”

“These are stronger and the spirit warrior clans around the country are sensing it as well. They’ll probably want Sasuke to join them and this could be a potential war amongst the clans in their quest to claim him.”

“…”

“Come on, Naruto,” he cajoled. “You were friends with his older brother as well, weren’t you? Why don’t you consider this a favor to Itachi?”

The blond’s shoulders stiffened and Kakashi could sense the animosity pouring off him at this point. He took a deep breath and squared his jaw; his patience now wearing thin. 

“I really have no idea why I’m trying to talk you into this. This is your new mission and you are going to accept it whether you like it or not. Do not forget you’re on probation anyway, and if you refuse this, your license is suspended indefinitely. What good are you then to anyone? No one wants a lazy asshole unable to earn his keep around here.”

“Shut the fuck up,” came the low growl that brought a bitter smile to Kakashi’s face. 

“Good. I’ll let Tsunade and Jiraiya know that you’ve agreed to the job.”

“Now wait a minute,” Naruto cried out as he sat up to glare at Kakashi who was already rising to his feet. “I never said…!”

“She’ll want to see you three – and I mean Sai and Sakura as well – at her office for a detailed briefing before you head out. Don’t be late.”

“Don’t give me your fucking job, you goddamn…!” But he was yelling to thin air for Kakashi had vanished, leaving him red-faced when a group of European tourists finally noticed him … and looked away as if embarrassed at his crazy antics. 

Naruto groaned and flopped back to the ground in dismay. His heart was beginning to race in a way that worried him. It was the realization that he was going back to work amongst humans after almost a year of self-imposed exile. He had not been bothered for assignments because they probably understood why he needed the time away from the rest of humanity, but now…

_(you can’t hide forever, Naruto)_

“Shit,” he whispered as he lifted trembling hands to his face before clenching them into fists to control himself. 

He would have to be ready for this; whether he wanted to or not.

Not that he had any other fucking option. Life (or the Afterlife) rarely did anyway.

* * *

Sakura, he knew, since she was (and probably is still) the object of his unrequited affection. She was eighteen at the time of her ‘death’, and about a hundred years his junior, but that was okay with him. She still acted like she was the older one and wasn’t averse to scolding Naruto every once in a while especially when he began acting like an asshole. Tonight she looked lovely in a pair of jeans and white turtleneck hidden beneath a short black coat. Her pink hair was like a beacon for anyone, though it was mostly hidden (sadly) beneath a black wool hat. His fingers itched to run through those lush tresses, but he knew they’d probably be sliced off if he dared act on one of his innermost fantasies.

Sai, on the other hand, he barely knew. He was almost dressed like Sakura, except for the white scarf wrapped around his neck. They were about the same (human) age, but Sai was older than him by about ten years or so. They had never worked together, due to Sai being more of a spy/investigative spirit warrior rather than an actual fighter. This made his choice of being a part of the team rather dubious, and Naruto was still not comfortable with the idea of him being around. However, Tsunade had tried to convince him that Sai’s spirit-barrier skills were second-to-none, and he was most likely the only one (available) to curtail his _biju_ mode should he ever get out of control. 

[Kakashi would be a reluctant backup to Sai should anything _really_ go wrong]

Naruto stole a glance at the pale-skinned man, who was currently chuckling over something Sakura was saying to him. He wasn’t quick enough to look away when Sai caught his gaze, and he was rewarded with a slight nod of his head and smile that sent shivers down Naruto’s spine. 

_Creepy._ That was the smile of a man who could cut you (still smiling mind you) without thinking twice about it.

Naruto shuddered and burrowed his hands deeper into the pockets of his black trench coat. He tried to even his breathing, keeping his gaze lowered to the ground to avoid having to look directly into the faces of the humans and _yōkai_ around them. It was disconcerting…no… _more_ than disconcerting to have to face such an onslaught after being away for so long. His senses had gotten so used to the peaceful shade of azure and the almost comforting daily flow of humans to the museum, it was now suddenly painfully jarring to his spirit senses to be thrust back into the chaos of the main city at this time of the day. 

It was only early evening and yet it seemed as if all humanity had decided to take to the streets at this hour. The air was thick with a purple haze, which made him blink repeatedly to stop them from watering. He could barely breathe at first, but eventually managed to get by after Sakura gave him a respiratory pill she had been working on. 

(Thank goodness she was with him)

It worked like a charm, but it still didn’t help with the rest of his problems; including the cacophony of fleeting human thoughts that threatened to bore a hole right through his skull. He did have the ability to block them out, but it had been a while since he used this particular gift and he found himself having to concentrate extra hard on keeping the noise to a dull hum. The smells were the worst of it all, for it was not just the obvious stench of a city’s pollution, but the underlying stink of the undead, the unclean, the malicious _yōkai_ just begging to have a piece of them. The wiser ones tended to slink away when they noticed the three spirit warriors in the vicinity, but a few others had tried to attack, and Naruto – not trusting himself to fight just yet – had allowed Sai and Sakura to do the honors. 

All it took was for Sai to set up a quick spiritual barrier, preventing the humans from seeing what was about to happen and Sakura going in for the kill with a burst of speed before smashing a chakra-induced punch into the hapless creature. What remained of the _yōkai_ was its unassuming physical form – a hard rock-like object that was sent to headquarters for appraisal, or destroyed if it was seen to be quite useless. In all, they managed to stop five full blown _yōkai_ , and three half-formed ones (in other words, still attached to their human counterparts), before arriving at their destination.

“Here it is,” Sakura announced as they came to a stop before a nondescript apartment building amongst the many others in the city. If the remaining member of the Uchiha clan had hoped to remain anonymous for the rest of his life, he couldn’t have chosen a better location to do so. 

“Are you sure we should be doing this? Whose bright idea was this anyway?” Naruto asked warily. It was a quiet street, but it was more than likely the few neighbors going about would have noticed three strangers heading toward a single apartment. 

“I think it’s best we know exactly who we’re working with,” Sai said as he held out his hands to perform the seal. In mere minutes, the familiar thrum of invisible contained energy formed around the building, shielding it from malicious _yōkai_. Also useful, for no human could notice them now as they went about their business.

“I thought the Uchihas were a wealthy clan,” Sakura muttered as she led the way up the flight of steps. “How come he lives in such a place?”

“Maybe Mom and Dad forgot to put his name in the Will. Who gives a shit?” Naruto mumbled as he held out his fingers to the door and allowed a surge of chakra to flow through his fingers and toward the cool metal object. The door knob twisted on its own, allowing them access to the life of a young man they were now responsible for.

“Where did you say he was again?” Naruto asked, as he took off his shoes and walked down the short narrow corridor and into an apartment that was barely big enough for two people to live in. 

“Cram school,” Sakura replied absently. She too was busy observing the place; sharp green eyes taking in every item in the neat room.

“Goodness…are you sure he’s a teenager? I was under the impression that the teens of this day and age were not quite the neat freaks,” Sai stated as he wandered into the bathroom. Not a thing out of place. The tub and sink sparkled and still smelled like the cleaning detergent he must have used to scrub them with. A single navy towel hung on its rack. A simple white mug and white toothbrush sat on the edge of the sink, and there wasn’t even a stray strand of hair in sight. Impressive.

The main room itself consisted of a narrow bed pushed against the wall and beneath the lone window. There was a low coffee table with nothing but a remote control to the T.V. in the corner. There was a desk beside it on which sat a computer with headphones, a cup with writing utensils, and several school books in a neat pile. The only hint that a human actually lived here was the presence of a photograph on the wall featuring a family portrait that must have been taken years ago. There was something rather haunting about the image, and the warriors would have been foolish not to sense the energy that seeped from it.

(protecting him as best they can…even in death)

Naruto remained immobile in the middle of the room and forced himself to see beyond the surface of what Uchiha Sasuke presented to the world. 

(everything in its place)

There was no ‘smell’ here. No presence of any malicious _yōkai_ …but then again, Sai had put up a barrier so it was likely some had been repelled in the process. Still, there was something almost ‘pure’ about the air in here. The purple haze wasn’t as potent either and Naruto found he could breathe a little easier in this enclosed space. He eyed the neatly-made bed with its blue and black bed sheets and two rather fluffy pillows at its end. 

It invited him, and who was he to decline.

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed when they heard the hard plop of his body upon it. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Resting,” Naruto mumbled as he turned on his side and away from the accusing eyes. “It’s been a fucking long day.”

The sheets smelled nice – weird that a boy’s room should smell ‘nice’ at all in the first place – but there was an earthly freshness to it. A scent that Naruto felt he could burrow his face into and never want to leave. It left him feeling warm…comforted…and perhaps he really would have drifted off to sleep, if his fingers didn’t soon brush against something beneath the pillow.

_Hmm?_

He pulled it out and cracked open an eye to see what treasure he had unveiled. It was a book. Nothing wrong with having a book beneath your pillow. However, it was _what_ was on the cover of said book, which had the blond warrior resisting the urge to scrub his eyes and to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

_Was this really…? Was this actually a…a…?_

“Oooh, so he reads BL manga, eh?” Sakura crowed as she snatched the book from Naruto’s numb fingers. “Wow. Guess we really do know something a little extra about our little friend.”

Sai leaned over her shoulder to peer at the cover of the two very naked men entangled in a passionate embrace and simply grunted. “So he’s gay?”

“Not necessarily,” Sakura said as she began to thumb through the pages. “Maybe he’s bi.”

“I doubt it,” Sai said for he had moved toward the desk and was pulling open a drawer to reveal even more BL literature and to make matters worse, actual PC games.

“Oh my God,” Naruto groaned in disbelief.

“I think it’s adorable,” Sakura giggled and sat upon the swivel chair to spin around in delight. “I can already picture him now. Sullen kid at school, who’s just lonely and needs a boyfriend, but spends his time fantasizing about his perfect partner by indulging in Boys’ Love manga and video games.” She sighed and suddenly had a sad expression on her visage. “He really must be lonely.”

“Can we please get back to fucking reality here?” Naruto snapped. “What the hell do we plan to do now?”

He had no intention of continuing the discussion on Uchiha Sasuke’s choices in perverted reading material. After all, he had spent years having to deal with Kakashi and Jiraiya’s weird fetishes. 

Sakura shook herself from her stupor and nodded firmly. “Right. What’s the plan?”

Sai sat cross-legged on the floor and eyed his teammates. “Well…we could infiltrate his school and try to act like students.”

“You don’t look like a student,” Naruto interrupted with a raised brow. 

“I do,” Sakura volunteered with a wave of her hand. “I think it will be a great idea for me to try to become his friend at school and…protect him there during the day. Sai could pass for a high school kid…a third year at least.”

“And what about me?” Naruto asked. “There’s no way in hell I’m going through high school as a student.”

“You can be a teacher,” Sai said with a shrug. “And teach a subject that’s not too strenuous for you.”

“What are you trying to imply?” Naruto growled.

Sai smirked. “Nothing. Physical education might be a good idea.”

“You want me to become a P.E teacher?”

“Think of all the girls you get to see in those short shorts, _sensei_ ,” Sai cajoled with wicked intent. Naruto could feel the heat rising to his cheeks at the mental image that conjured up, but shook his head to get rid of it just as quickly. The last thing he needed to do was be labeled a pervert if he began ogling a little too long at girls’ asses.

“Do your homework, Sai,” Sakura chided, though her nose was still buried within the pages of the manga. “Most schools have stopped with the _burumas_. Shorts are now the in-thing. So pervy _sensei_ here won’t get his opportunity to stare at the little lolitas. Or maybe he can have his kicks at the swimming pool.”

“Will you two cut it out?” Naruto huffed and flopped back onto the bed. “It’s going to be a pain having to get through all the paperwork anyway to become a teacher. I think I’ll just watch from the sidelines and fight from there. You two can watch him during school hours.”

“That’s no good,” Sai replied with a shake of his head. “We’re supposed to be together at all times. So being in the same area at that particular time of the day is a good idea. We’re all in school when he’s in school -”

“And what if he has a field trip or any of that stuff, then what?”

“We’re spirit warriors, remember?” Sakura replied with a soft laugh. “We are not bound by the rules of the human world anymore. Sure we’ll do as we’re told, but we’re stronger than them, and all I have to do is put a little curse or spell on them and it should be fine.”

“Damn, Sakura,” Naruto muttered wearily (really this guy’s bed and pillows were just too comfortable). “You can be one mean bitch.”

For that, he got a whack on the head with the manga. 

The last thing he’d remember was trying to escape from her chokehold, with Sai trying to assist in rescuing him. They were making so much noise and being rambunctious, it was a miracle Sai didn’t lose concentration enough to let the barrier crumble. 

However, when he fell asleep (or fainted?) was the puzzling part of it all. He couldn’t really remember when he had finally caved in to his weariness (or had Sakura cast a spell on him?) for when he lifted his lashes much later…

_(huh…where is…?)_

…it was to find himself staring at the steely tip of a sword barely inches from his left eyeball. One false move and that sucker was likely to be buried deep into his skull.

_(the hell…?) ___

“Who are you?” came the cold, hard question that left no room for argument. 

Naruto cursed inwardly and tried to look into his attacker’s face. Perhaps he should have already known who it was for he had seen that handsome pale face in a photograph (and actually when he was much younger and less homicidal-looking) a few times already. It was clear the boy had probably just returned because he was still in his school uniform, his bag and books somewhere by the door.

Sai and Sakura were nowhere in sight. 

_(those damn traitors left me here! Shit! So much for sticking together)_

He wasn’t afraid of ‘dying’ (and God knows he had lost count of how many times that had happened over the years). It was just the pain of having a sword pierce through him that was the bothersome part, but what the hell? That was a small price to pay because it seemed like the kid had no plans of withdrawing the weapon anytime soon…though one had to wonder just where the damn brat had hidden the sword in the first place. Naruto doubted modern Japanese schools encouraged carrying such deadly weapons during classes.

_(here goes nothing!) ___

In a swift move, he sat up and sucked in a harsh breath as he changed the sword’s trajectory; only instead of finding his eye, it was plunged deep into his right breast, through muscle, bone and out the other side where his thick blood coated the blade to drip silently onto the bed.

He would only have a moment to smirk coldly at the stunned (fearful?) expression on Sasuke’s face, before rasping out…

_(Fuck it hurt!)_

…impatiently. 

“You wouldn’t mind yanking this thing out, would you? I think you and I need to have a little chat.”


	3. Crimson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Teleportation** – a high-level skill requiring lots of concentration and incredible speed. Though all spirit warriors have the ability to move faster than the human eye, warriors who can actually achieve teleportation are rare. The con? It takes up a lot of chakra and leaves them extremely fatigued. 
> 
> **Spells** – another high-level skill that not all spirit warriors possess. Spells can range from the simple (e.g. Kakashi silencing Naruto) to the complex. 
> 
> **Spirit Barriers** – All spirit warriors have the ability to do this. However, some warriors have the inherent ability to cast stronger barriers than others. It’s mostly due to how long they can sustain their concentration and harness their energy around the area of choice.  The larger barrier field that’s created, the more chakra/concentration is needed. 
> 
> **Cleaners** – A special group of spirit warriors sent to locations where a battle has taken place. Their job is to restore any destruction created back to its original state without the knowledge of humans. Requirements? Excellent teleportation skills and extreme attention to detail.
> 
>  

* * *

He remembered the first time he felt the stinging, prickly sensation in his eye.

He remembered feeling as if his eyeballs were literally on fire - the overwhelming urge to sink his fingers into the sockets and yank them out - so strong it was all he could do to control himself. He was sure he had screamed in terror; forcing his older brother to dash into the bedroom just to see what was wrong. 

“They burn, _niisan_ ,” he had sobbed and whined helplessly. “Make it stop. Please. They hurt so much!”

He vaguely remembered looking up and seeing the (albeit indistinct) look of fear and dismay on his brother’s features. He had masked it quickly with concern and gentle words of reassurance, while leading him to the bathroom to wash them with a warm wet cloth. 

“It’s okay, Sasuke,” his brother had said later while cradled, like a babe, within his arms. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just…I didn’t think you’ll get it, and I was really hoping you wouldn’t -”

“Get what, _niisan_?” He was blindfolded with a soft black cloth, which Sasuke was glad for. The burning sensation was now numbed to a dull throbbing, and his head didn’t feel like it was about to split open either. Besides, being close to his brother like this always made him feel better no matter the circumstances.

“It’s called the sharingan,” came the quiet explanation. “Not all members of our clan can have it, but for those who do, it can be a blessing and a curse.”

“Why? What do you mean?”

“From now on, Sasuke…your world is going to look just a little bit different, but don’t worry. I’ll always be here with you. I’ll protect you for as long as I can, so don’t you worry about a thing.”

He didn’t understand what Itachi had meant at the time, but his first rude awakening to just how ‘different’ his world would become came in form of seeing the usual smiling, jovial postman hovering at their doorway with some weird purple formless creature dangling from the back of his neck. Terror had his scream locked tightly in his throat, though Itachi motioned for him to keep quiet and to look as normal as possible while he went to get the door. 

For the naïve eight-year old, this was too much to deal with. He could only crouch against the sofa, watching as his brother smiled and talked to the older man as if absolutely nothing was wrong. What was even worse was seeing the squiggly purple thing slither toward his brother as if desperate to engulf him. He was sure there was a tongue there - a disgusting wet thing - just eager to touch the younger man.

Sasuke wanted to scream for Itachi to get away from it, but was stumped into astonished silence when his brother made a simple gesture – as if reaching for something behind the postman – only his fingertips seemed to shimmer with dull blue flames that scorched the formless mass into fluttering ashes. The shrill scream of pain it gave was so deafening, Sasuke had to cover his ears, and yet the postman acted as if everything was still normal. He simply told Itachi to have a nice day and whistled away with a skip in his step. Sasuke wasn’t sure of it, but he could have sworn that the postman was actually even more cheerful than usual. 

“What did you do to him, _niisan_?” he asked in awe. “What was that thing? How come he couldn’t see it?”

“ _Yōkai_ ,” Itachi explained patiently. “All humans have them, and while for the most part, they are simply projections of our innermost thoughts and can remain latent and peaceful, some have such darkness and hatred within their hearts, their _yōkai_ feed upon these feelings, get bigger and bigger eventually causing them to become malevolent and troublesome to others. It’s our job to take care of such evil _yōkai_ , Sasuke.”

“Our job?”

“Yes. The Uchiha clan were amongst the first spirit warriors, and it’s a tradition we’ve been burdened with. I just wish you didn’t have to deal with it,” he added with a heavy sigh and a gentle pet of his brother’s head. “I wanted nothing more than for you to have a peaceful life.”

But that was wishful thinking on their part, and goodness knew just how hard it was for Sasuke to adjust to seeing most humans walking around with extra ‘baggage’ (so to speak) around them. Eventually, he got used to it and between his older brother and the appearance of that strange scarred man called Hatake Kakashi, Sasuke managed to survive without being attacked by any malevolent spirits. They did their best to protect him, and he hated to admit that he had gotten lax with his vigilance regarding the dark spirits. He chose to live as normal a life as possible, and in time, he developed a way of looking at others without actually having to ‘look’ directly at them. It made having to deal with the spiritual beings a little more tolerable. 

Sadly, many in his school considered him aloof, cold or distant because of it. He had listened and watched countless girls cry over how he tended to look ‘right through’ them, and how he just never really cared. Couldn’t he show some kind of emotion at least and feel sorry for their lovesick plight? He wondered what would happen if he actually blurted the truth to them? That for all their prettiness and popularity in school, these girls (and some guys) had the ugliest _yōkai_ just begging to be unleashed. It really wasn’t worth the hassle. So rather than get involved in extracurricular activities or becoming attached to anyone, he kept to himself; his goal to simply get through high school, find a good university, and if he was lucky, get a job that could take him out of the country. 

Pity that dream was about to go down faster than a burning plane, for those damned malevolent _yōkai_ were now deliberately seeking him out and becoming more aggressive.

It was on the morning of his sixteenth birthday, when he felt the _change_. Knowing this had absolutely nothing to do with a late surge of puberty, it all began with the now familiar feverish sensation in his eyes and then the tingling sensation in his hands…fingers…no…actually the tingling seemed to flow right from his eyes, down his arms to concentrate on his fingers that now twitched restlessly. 

The choking, stifling smell of smoke had him sniffing the air and coughing wretchedly in his restless sleep. He finally forced his aching eyes open, only to cry out in horror as he realized that his blanket and sheets were smoldering with tiny blue flames that seemed to crackle with a surge of electricity. Panic filling him, he jumped out of bed and rolled the bedding into a ball before stomping on it to get the flames out. 

“What the…how…?” he panted in disbelief, while hoping he hadn’t just experienced a power surge with any of the electrical sockets in the room.

Adrenaline still surging through him, heart racing at a mile-a-minute, tongue dry yet senses as alert as ever, he was just about to begin inspecting the apartment when he felt the hairs at the back of his neck prickle with awareness. It would take him another second to realize he was no longer alone. He stiffened and held his breath; lithe body wired taut while willing the dull pounding in his head to stop so he could concentrate. He knew it couldn’t be Kakashi paying him a late night visit, so what the hell was that grating noi -

“FUCK!” he yelled as this ‘thing’ – shapeless, pitch black, and with a stench of mold and decay, burst through his front door and right for him.  

Not thinking, he fell flat on his stomach and rolled away just as it made a curve in the air and dove for him again. The unearthly sounds of greed emanating from it, forced Sasuke to slap his hands over his ears. He scooted backwards on his buttocks, struggling to get away from the malevolent spirit. 

_Kakashi?!_ His mind screamed. _Where are you Kakashi? I thought you had put up a barrier! So where the fuck are you when I need you the most?!_

Fevered thoughts aside, his back slammed hard against the computer desk nearly sending everything on it crashing upon him. He was just in time to roll aside, but only to howl out in pain as the scissors, which had fallen to the floor, buried itself into his upper thigh. The pain was excruciating but pale in comparison to the shriek of delight (?) the creature gave at the pungent smell of blood to fill the air. 

It swerved and sped toward the boy again, and Sasuke barely managed to slide flat onto his back, choking as the creature nearly overwhelmed him with its putrid stench of Death. He shuddered as his mind was immediately filled with darkness and pain; the kind that spoke of the countless terrors this creature had inflicted on so many others in the past. He felt suffocated and shuddered with revulsion as he felt the cold gel-like tentacles of the creature run up his thighs and lap at the crimson wound hungrily.

“Argh! Get away from me!” came the scream laced with both anger and terror. “Get the fuck away from me! You son-of-a-bitch!”

He could feel it then. That strange surge that had begun from his eyes and raced down to his fingers. He couldn’t tell you just what the hell it meant or why the air around him suddenly began to crackle with an electrical energy akin to sparks you see when something is being electrocuted (or dare he say lightning). His initial (though weakening) thought was that Kakashi had finally arrived to help him (for he had seen Kakashi do the weird lightning thing once before), so how then was he to explain the sudden roar of fury that seemed ripped right from his throat just as his hands lifted to press against the black mass? He ‘let go’ of the surge of energy that almost made him pass out, watching in disbelief as the creature shrieked in absolute agony, writhed and contorted itself into a mish-mash of screaming faces and skulls, before bursting apart and splattering itself all over the walls of his apartment. 

Something roundish, black and shiny promptly fell to the floor, but Sasuke was too busy trying to catch his breath, and could only give the black object a cursory glance before promptly passing out in exhaustion. 

When he awakened, it was to find himself on his bed again.

For a long minute, he stared blankly at the ceiling, the low hum of the computer and cooling system his only companion. 

_(a…dream?)_

He turned his head to survey the apartment, and wasn’t surprised to see that it looked absolutely impeccable…as it had always been. His front door looked intact. There were no black splatters on the wall. There was definitely no weird black shiny object on the floor. None of his furniture looked out of place, and looking at his blanket and bed sheets, not a sign that he had burnt a single thing. 

_(it was all a dream then…)_

“Ha…haha…hahahahah!” He threw an arm over his eyes and laughed hysterically for a few minutes; telling himself that he was both relieved and happy that all that happened last night had really been nothing more than a nightmare. He hadn’t really imagined some black thing bursting through his front door, trying to eat him, had he? What foolishness. Besides, he was probably running late for school and had to get ready for the day. Finally calming down to hiccuped giggles, he wiped the tears from his eyes and flung back the blanket to swing his legs off the bed. However, the sudden flash of white hot pain to lace up his leg sent him toppling to the floor in a heap.

“What…?”

He blinked stupidly at the wad of bandages wrapped around his upper thigh, and because he had strained it with his actions, a small red dot was beginning to blossom against the gauze. 

“Im…impossible,” he whispered as the first pangs of terror began to claw at his insides. “It’s…it’s impossible. It was a dream. It had to be a dream.”

But it wasn’t. And he knew it wasn’t for that day alone, he had encounters with two more dangerous _yōkai_ in broad daylight! He couldn’t begin to imagine what people must have thought seeing the weird kid running away from his own shadow, but there was no way in hell he could risk showing off his new found power surge thingy from his fingers to destroy the _yōkai_. 

He took to trying to draw the spirits away from crowded places, and had dared to use his powers on them. Unfortunately, he nearly started a forest fire when the tricky spirit darted into a tree in an effort to escape. It didn’t help that this time; his _eyes_ were responsible for the accident and not his ‘lightning’ skill. It wasn’t as if he had done it on purpose. He had just been staring hard at the spirit, trying to remain as still as possible so it wouldn’t notice his presence, when black (!) flames had erupted upon the creature. Needless to say, Sasuke’s eyes had also taken some damage because they actually _bled_ when he tried to wipe away what he assumed was mere stinging tears from the effort. 

By the end of the week, he was at his wits end. The fear of going blind terrified him so much; he dared not stare at anything harder than a minute. Studying became a lesson in tolerance for the words seemed to jump off the page, and he could not concentrate for more than several minutes at a time. He had barely seen Kakashi, and no one had bothered explaining just what the hell was going on. It wasn’t as if he could talk to anyone else about the strange things happening to him, and if he was a recluse in school before, he became even more so with the sudden influx of _yōkai_ wanting a piece of him. He worried that he’d eventually have to stop attending for fear some of these spirits began attacking his classmates just to spite him.

He took to sleeping with Itachi’s beloved _katana_ (a weapon his brother had used efficiently during his days as a spirit warrior) at night, realizing that he could easily channel his ‘lightning’ into the weapon, which was much more effective when swinging (and missing) at these flying spirits. But despite the added protection, sleep was nearly impossible. Every creak and groan had his lashes flying open, and as a result, bags of fatigue were beginning to take root around his abused and sore eyes. He was miserable and wished to all heaven that Kakashi would return from wherever the fuck he went to let him know just what was happening to him.

_(I really wish you were here, niisan. I’ve never felt more alone in my life)_

It didn’t help that this evening, during cram school lessons, a half-formed _yōkai_ on another student’s neck had tried to lurch for him in the middle of a test. He couldn’t very well bring out the small dagger he kept in his bag for such occasions, and he definitely did not want to stare down the creature lest he end up sending the classmate in flames (though the guy pissed him off anyway). How he wished he had learned how to create barriers. He had always half-listened to Itachi and Kakashi talk about it; of how they said putting up barriers could keep yōkai away. It wasn’t as if either man had wanted to teach him anything like that in the first place, so he hadn’t bothered pestering them for lessons. And now…

Now _this._

Just when he thought he could come back home to some kind of peace and quiet, he had to deal with this stranger in his bed. A stranger, who could very well be a shape shifting _yōkai_ , peacefully snoozing away on his nice, comfy, cozy bed!

_Who the fuck did it think it was?_

He had to give the _yōkai_ balls at least, Sasuke had thought as he reached into his closet to pull out the _katana_ he hid there. He didn’t think he’d need to charge it up, since the creature was still fast asleep, but with his patience and tolerance for all _yōkai_ at its breaking point, he contemplated using the black flames on him even if it meant having to bleed a little more tonight. 

_(something isn’t right though)_

For starters if this _yōkai_ was actually a shape shifter, then he was a damn fine one (not excluding the physical appearance). He looked way too human and slept like one too. The blanket was tangled around askew legs clad in a pair of black pants with a sock-clad foot stuck out from one end. A black turtleneck top covered what appeared to be a well-toned torso and a chest that rose and fell steadily with every breath (and light snore). The face was the most fascinating. Those scars; those had to be the signs of a _yōkai_ (and a powerful one at that)…

_(seen him before)_

…those scars looked like whiskers; deeply etched into his lightly tanned skin. 

_(I’ve seen this face before…)_

His lips were parted, a light sheen of drool escaping a corner of a generous mouth that could probably break into a wide grin when the mood was right. And his blond (so damn bright despite the gloom in the room) shoulder-length hair covered half of his face and threatened to enter said mouth.

_(I’ve seen this face…)_

He blinked hard as a sudden, sharp and vivid memory from his childhood nearly had him sucking in a harsh breath.

_(there was a fire…screams…me? Screaming? Niisan looking panicked…couldn’t reach me…called out for help…then he…this man…at the time…)_

Sasuke blinked hard and stared.

_(It…it can’t be the same guy…he hasn’t aged a bit since then if it’s really him…)_

His troubled thoughts were disrupted when the stranger moaned in his sleep and was about to turn. Sasuke tightened his grip around the hilt of the _katana_ and positioned it in readiness to strike. It would have been easy to go for the chest, but who knew what kind of _yōka_ i this was? Best to strike the brain first and see if that had any effect before doing anything else.

He definitely wasn’t ready for the languid lifting of those lashes to reveal bleary azure eyes, which immediately sent a weird and not unpleasant liquid heat into the pit of his stomach. Sadly, the moment was short-lived when those eyes quickly hardened with irritation and in a move so fast – barely giving Sasuke any time to think or react - the _yōkai_ was sitting up with the sword now buried within his chest.

_(He…he can’t be!)_

“You wouldn’t mind yanking this thing out, would you?” the shape shifter grated through lips that trembled slightly. A thick trickle of blood was beginning to trail down his chin. “I think you and I need to have a little chat.”

_(he’s bleeding…he’s…why? Isn’t he supposed to explode like the others? Why is he still alive?)_

“What are you?” he finally asked when he could find his voice again, and was damn surprised he still sounded annoyed. 

The blond _yōkai_ grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth before wrapping his hands around the blade of the sword to begin pulling out slowly. If he felt any pain from the no doubt deep cuts he was inflicting on his palms, the _yōkai_ gave no indication of it. 

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” he rasped and pulled out a little more. Sasuke was sure he was still holding on with all his strength and yet this _yōkai_ was acting as if it was nothing more than a toothpick to remove from a flesh wound. “Not exactly the happy reunion I was looking for considering I saved your ass back then.”

Sasuke saw it again; that nagging vivid memory he was refusing to accept. How old was he then? Five? Six? How was it possible then that…?

“There,” the _yōkai_ grunted as the sword was completely pulled out, leaving a spreading dark stain on the front of his shirt. He held a hand to the wound and winced. “Damn…where’s Sakura when you need her? Don’t know how fast I can get this one healed on my own.”

Sasuke – mind whirling and unable to comprehend just what was going on – pointed the sword at the blond again. However, he was exhausted. His knees were already beginning to tremble, but he’d be damned if he was going to let this _yōkai_ have its way. 

“What are you and why are you here?” he asked again.

“Stop waving that damn thing in my face,” came the annoyed reply. Those blue eyes pinned him with an expression that should have chastised him, but in his current state of mind, Sasuke was less than worried about being chewed out by some stranger. 

“You’re a _yōkai_ ,” he stated flatly. “I’ve had enough of you bastards. Why don’t you all just leave me the hell alone?!”

He allowed the surge of electricity to race through his arm and into the sword, as well as forcing his eyes to concentrate on the figure before him. He knew he was expending too much energy, but he didn’t care. If he could get rid of this guy, maybe that would be a sign to the other _yōkai_ to keep their distance. 

He prepared to swing, and gasped as the blond seemed to disappear right before his eyes.

_(what the…?)_

“URGH!” 

The wall was like a sledgehammer when he found himself flung against it with such force, it knocked the wind out of his sails. He crumbled to the floor and tried to catch his breath, every bone in his body seeming to cry out in pain. The sword had slipped from his hands, and in his desperation to grab it, he watched in dismay as the _yōkai_ kicked it aside and reached down to wrap strong fingers around his neck.

_(oh God…I’m going to die…fuck!)_

The _yōkai_ was on his haunches, the fingers adding more pressure to prevent him from crying out. Sasuke tried to clasp his wrist to ease the death grip, but it felt like he was holding onto a piece of steel. His eyes shimmered and his vision wavered, and yet he gritted his teeth; refusing to give in to this asshole who actually seemed to be looking at him with some kind of pity. 

“Tears of blood, eh?” the _yōkai_ murmured as he reached out to trace the crimson fluid trickling down Sasuke’s cheek. “They really weren’t kidding when they said your powers were going out of control. Guess we should take care of that one first, huh?”

“What are you doing?” Sasuke would have liked to shriek out in terror as he watched the blond’s fingertips begin to flicker with those familiar pale flames his older brother used to have. Unfortunately, all he could do was gasp weakly as he felt a warmth…soothing almost…sensation upon his forehead. The flames were cool to the touch, the fingers attached to them even better. 

_/Just hang on to me, kid. I’m going to get you out of here, okay?!/_

_(strong arms holding him…protecting him…)_

He couldn’t understand what this creature was doing to him, but the effect was immediate and absolutely _wonderful_. The burning sensation, he was now almost used to, was slowly ebbing away. That warmth – which brought a (normal) tear to his eye – appeared to course through his weary body in gentle waves. The tension and fight within him was easing away, causing his clenched hands to fall limply to the floor in resignation. He barely felt the _yōkai_ releasing the pressure around his neck as heavy-lidded lashes finally fluttered to a close. 

_(…it really is you, isn’t it?)_

And though he would have liked to ask the _yōkai_ if his mind wasn’t simply playing tricks on him, he was too spent to conjure up the words to do so. However, the last thing he’d remember was being cradled against that strong warm body, and the puzzling faint shriek of some woman saying – 

* * *

“What the hell did you do to him, Naruto?!”

“Aww come on! Give me a fucking break. I’m the one losing buckets of blood here. The bastard stabbed me!”

“And so you threw him against the wall?!”

“I can see his imprint there,” Sai observed as he took in the mini-chaos in the room, especially the bed which was now drenched with Naruto’s blood.

“Where the fuck did you guys go anyway?!” came the accusatory cry as Sakura fell to her knees to pull Sasuke’s comatose body to her. “I woke up and this kid had his sword pointed at me and you guys were nowhere in sight!”

“We went to get something to eat. We invited you, but you said you were too tired and we should get you something,” Sai explained. He was beginning to change the sheets, for he really was one of those people who didn’t like messy things. He’d also have to scrub the floor. The blood stains were unsightly. “You’re still dripping, Naruto. Can’t you heal yourself as normal?”

Naruto grunted and peeled off the turtleneck to see the damage. He grimaced at the ugly gash and tried to flex his muscles, but no dice. He was really hurting this time. Good thing the cuts on his hands weren’t so bad. Those were healing just fine.

“A little help, Sakura?” he whined when he noticed the girl still attending to Sasuke. “I didn’t do anything to him. I just controlled the Amaterasu surge. He was ready to send me  up in flames if I didn’t stop him.”

“Poor guy hasn’t had much sleep,” Sakura mused. She was checking for broken bones and doing her best to heal them as quickly as possible; her palms outstretched over the problem areas to release a comforting greenish glow. Naruto really didn’t know his strength, did he? The kid had three broken ribs already. She lifted her gaze to glare at him. “You really did a number on him besides your act of mercy, and stop poking at the wound. I’ll get to you when I’m through with him.”

Naruto grumbled and sat on the floor, though wincing at the wetness of his pants as well. The blood had seeped all the way through and it really felt gross to be wearing this.

“He owes me one,” he decided as he rose to his feet again and headed toward Sasuke’s closet. “It should fit me.”

“Great. Now you’re stealing the kid’s clothes?” Sakura muttered in disbelief. “Surely you can hang on for a few minutes, and I’ll take us back to SWAT and  you can get a new set of clothes.”

“Tsunade-sama keeps deducting pay whenever I go back there while on duty,” Naruto grumbled. He spied a large gray hoodie sweatshirt that wasn’t going to be too tight on him. “If we go back, I’m looking at a twenty percent deduction from my next paycheck. The stingy old hag.”

“Speaking of which,” Sai said as he straightened out the bed sheet and stood back to eye his handiwork. “Sakura and I were discussing accommodations, and we decided that it would be best if we rented a small apartment close by.”

“All three of us?” Naruto asked as he padded into the bathroom and reached for the towel to wet it in the sink. He winced as each twist and turn of his body seemed to make the wound even worse, but as he began to wipe away the bloodstains, he could already feel the first stirrings of his natural ability to heal. It literally felt like the muscles, nerves, veins and arteries were all weaving themselves back together again; hard to explain if asked to do so, but that was the sensation all the same. He rinsed his mouth and wiped it…before stealing a peek into Sasuke’s bathroom cabinet to see what kind of prissy hygiene products he used.

There was the usual boring assortment of hair products, where the kid seemed to have an affinity for citrus. Shower gels, soaps, combs, brushes (how he could get those spiky tresses brushed in place was a miracle), some extra strength generic painkillers, two bottles of eye drops, first aid kit, razors...

“Huh. Razors and aftershave already?” 

He snickered at the sight of the adult toiletries, wondering if – at that age – he had begun shaving. But then again, that was way back in the early 1800s, and they didn’t exactly have the same convenient amenities available today. Shaving usually involved a really sharp dagger and a prayer not to nick yourself to death.

“…double the rent,” someone was saying to jar him back to the present. “Are you listening to me, Naruto?”

“Yes, yes,” he replied and peeled out of his soaked pants and underwear. Not that he was averse to going commando, as he reached for Sasuke’s jeans to hop into (a little tight around the hips, but otherwise okay), but not with Sakura around. If he ended up getting a boner when she attended to him -

“So what do you think?” she asked when he walked back into the room while shrugging the sweatshirt over his head. 

“What do I think about what?”

Sakura groaned. Sai was laying Sasuke on his bed and tucking him in. The damned sword sat in the corner; Naruto’s blood still a crimson stain upon its steely blade.

“We found an apartment a block away from here. It would seem odd if one girl and two men were renting the place, so you and Sai can live together, and I’ll take another place two blocks down. That way we don’t have to pay double the rent.”

“We’re going to have to capture a lot of _yōkai_ to get the cash,” Naruto muttered as he sat on the lone chair in the room and lifted the shirt so Sakura could do her thing. At the sensation of her warm breath against his skin and the tingling flutter of talented fingers upon his wound, he bit his lower lip and struggled to think of the worst things possible. 

“Any appraisers around here instead of having to go to SWAT?” he asked shakily.

Sai nodded and pulled out a notepad from his back pocket. “Two of them. We’ve got Chiyo-baasama…”

“Damn, she’s still alive?” Naruto muttered and winced as Sakura jabbed his side.

“She’s highly respected,” the girl replied defensively. “And she helped me a lot during my years of training.”

“And there’s…” Sai cleared his throat and appeared to be blushing. “Terumī Mei.”

Naruto smirked and then stopped when he felt the homicidal vibes coming from Sakura. 

“Ah…she’s all right. No big deal,” he said flippantly. Though both men exchanged knowing looks for Mei was considered one of the hottest spirit warriors out there. She didn’t help much with some of the revealing outfits she chose to wear especially during meetings at SWAT. However, that was one of the things many (men) loved about her. She just didn’t give a fuck what others thought. She was damn strong and beautiful, and wasn’t ashamed to let everyone – who cared to listen – know about it.

Naruto secretly hoped he’d capture as many _yōkai_ as possible just to see her again. 

“If you two horny bastards are done,” Sakura growled and rose to her feet with a pat of Naruto’s toned torso (which she hated to admit was damn impressive considering he hadn’t been on duty in over a  year). The wound was almost healed as in the gash no longer prominent. All that was left was a tiny scar that would probably disappear by tomorrow night if Naruto knew his body well enough. It really was amazing when one thought about it. He had been in so many battles (including deaths) and yet his body hardly had a scratch to show for it. 

“I’m hungry. Where’s the food you got?” Naruto interrupted with a yawn.

“In the kitchen,” Sai replied. “You might have to warm it  up again-” 

But Naruto was already making a beeline for his late dinner while Sakura sat back and fidgeted with the remote control to find something to watch. The least they could do was be here when Sasuke awakened. The poor guy must be filled with a million and one questions, and she was going to be his guide especially with these two boneheads she had for company.

* * *

Something smelled good.

Sweet. Flowery…like sakura petals on a spring day. 

He sniffed the air in appreciation and tried to draw closer to the scent. There was a healing warmth emanating from this thing or person or whatever, and as he moaned and lifted his lashes slowly, Sasuke found himself staring at the most stunning pair of green eyes he had ever seen. 

_(beautiful)_

“Hello,” came the cheerful greeting accompanied by a smile that made his heart flutter with a funny (almost fuzzy) sensation. “You’re finally awake, huh?”

“Urgh…” He blushed at how thick and groggy (and stupid) he sounded and tried to sit up. He wasn’t quite sure of his surroundings, but one glance at the familiar photograph on his wall, reminded him of exactly where he was. 

_(wait a minute…the yōkai!)_

He sat upright and pulled back, eyes narrowing as he watched the girl for a moment. Had he left the door open? Who was she? She didn’t look like anyone from his school, because he was sure any girl with hair as pink as hers would be noticeable in a second. Secondly, just what the hell happened after his unsuccessful fight with that damned –

“Fuck!” came the cry that had him looking past the pink-haired beauty and into his living room proper. There were two other people in there watching his television (where apparently some game show was taking place). The dark-haired one, he did not recognize, and the other…

 _(him!)_  
  
He stiffened and searched frantically for his katana, nearly forgetting about the girl before him as every fiber of his being begged for him to eliminate the blond _yōkai_ before he could do any more damage. It wouldn’t hit him until he was half-way across the bedroom that the trio were now looking at him with varying degrees of amusement (Sai and Sakura) or exasperation (Naruto). 

“We’re sorry for taking over your home like this,” the girl was saying with a smile. “But we felt it best to introduce ourselves to you … especially this one.” 

She reached out to drag Naruto by the scruff of the sweatshirt to pull him closer to Sasuke. 

“Argh! What the hell, Sakura?” Naruto grumbled and glared up at them, while Sasuke had a moment to take in the fact that this bastard was actually _wearing_ his clothes! He was damn sure that sweatshirt was his favorite stay-at-home outfit. And those jeans…

(too tight)

…he couldn’t look away fast enough from what was too damn obvious.

“My name is Haruno Sakura,” the girl was saying; oblivious to Sasuke’s discomfort. “His name is Uzumaki Naruto, and the other one in there…”

Sai waved gently. 

“…his name is simply Sai. We’ve been sent to protect you basically taking over Kakashi’s role.”

Sasuke remained silent, even though he felt everything was slowly beginning to click into place. He took a step back; gaze still trained on the three of them.

“I apologize for whatever he did to you earlier,” Sakura added quickly perhaps aware the boy was still not trusting of them. “But he’s going to be your main mentor, and he will try to teach you how to harness your new powers.” Her features became pensive. “You must have been having a hard time of it, haven’t you? And we apologize for coming to you so late, but you don’t have to worry. From now on, we three are by your side and we’ll take care of you.” She nodded firmly and eyed her companions. “Right, guys?”

Various mumbles that sounded like ‘yeah’ and ‘whatever’ came from the duo, and Sakura’s eyebrow twitched in irritation. She laughed it off (though with a thrown glare at the two) before beaming at Sasuke again. 

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions to ask, so…”

Her words trailed off as she looked at him hopefully. Sasuke gritted his teeth and took another step back, not sure why he was silently freaking out at the idea of these three being his new bodyguards so to speak. Especially the one he had stabbed earlier. The one who was apparently not a _yōkai_ after all, but a spirit warrior. Like Kakashi. Like Itachi. 

_Uzumaki Naruto._

_(and besides…I do remember who he is now…)_

And it was damn embarrassing to think that he had acted that way to a man who had saved him once before. 

_Do I apologize or…no! Why should I? It’s his…their fault for barging into my apartment like this. And who gave him the right to take my things like he’s entitled to them?_

“Eh? Why are you glaring at me?” Naruto asked with a raised brow. “I’m the one who should be pissed off when you tried to kill me. Damn. I knew I was going to hate this job.”

“Be nicer to him,” Sakura hissed. “He’s going to be your student, remember?”

“Like hell he is. Uchihas are all pain in the asses.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to bark out a retort, when his restless hand bumped against the desk behind him. It sent the mouse and pad skidding off the desk causing the once blank computer screen to come back life. It would have been fine if it was nothing more than a usual boring generic desktop background for their viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, Sasuke must have been playing one of his BL games for it was frozen on the incriminating screenshot of a very naked, flushed and semen-covered black-haired man lying beneath a smirking, victorious (also naked) blond who was seductively licking his cheek; erections in full glory, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. As if that wasn’t bad enough, beneath that were the damning words:

_“…aah…ngh…don’t lick me like that…it’s dirty…”_

You could have heard a pin drop in the pregnant silence that filled the room at that moment (save the random burst of laughter and cheers from the T.V. which seemed even more inappropriate for some reason). Sasuke felt the heat begin from the tip of his toes until he was sure he was so red-faced, he could die from extreme blood rush to the head. He spun around and switched off the screen with trembling fingers, squeezing his eyes shut while praying and hoping the spirit warriors would have the good sense to –

“See what I mean?” Naruto complained loudly. “This is supposed to be my student? Just kill me already.”

“I wish I could,” Sakura barked and promptly began lecturing him on the ways to act like a damn good _sensei_. Sai yawned and went back to watching the T.V. leaving Sasuke to finally crack an eye open in disbelief. 

_(they didn’t…laugh at me?)_

He looked over his shoulder tentatively, and was met with a scene that could have been drawn right out of the pages of a manga; Sakura and Naruto arguing while Sai fell onto his stomach to continue watching the game show. They apparently just didn’t give a shit about his methods of pitiful, lewd entertainment.

He wasn’t sure if to burst out laughing or to thank them profusely for not making a big deal out of it, but all he could do was stare at them with his heart beating harder and faster than ever before.

These three weird characters were going to be his mentors from now on. 

He was going to have to put up with them whether he liked it or not. 

And as he let his gaze rest on the flustered blond now whining about Sakura-chan being a meanie, Sasuke felt it again; that weird tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach he could not explain. He flushed in embarrassment and turned away to pick up the mouse and notepad with his lower lip caught between his teeth and his cheeks still burning.

There was no doubt about it now. Things were definitely not going to be the same around here. 

* * *

On the rooftop of the apartment building just opposite Sasuke’s, two stately figures in white robes watched the shenanigans taking place in solemn silence.

Two pairs of pale slate-tinted eyes studied the scene for a long moment until the smaller of the two asked in a voice barely audible against the gust of wind.

“It looks like they’ve arrived, Neji- _niisan_.”

“Yes.”

“…what do we do now?”

His waist length black hair danced around him like a gossamer cloth as he spun on his heels to walk away. “We watch and wait. No one else is to claim him before us, Hinata-sama. Your father’s orders, remember?”

There was a barely noticeable nod accompanied by a low sound of suffering, which caused his lips to tighten. He stopped to stare pointedly at the lowered head. “Are you still having second thoughts? I know you never wanted to be involved with the spirit warriors, but you have to get used to the fact that it is your fate, Hinata-sama. You will have to use your powers eventually.”

She started as if goosed and looked up with tear-filled eyes. “Ye…yes…I understand.”

“Good.” He reached out for her with a small smile. “Let’s go. We have to report to your father soon. Ready?”

She allowed her smaller hand to be engulfed within his much stronger one, and with one last look over her shoulder at the boisterous people in that small apartment, she felt her heart stir with a longing no one in her prestigious family would ever understand. 

_Enjoy this peace while you can, Uchiha Sasuke,_ she thought as they became one with the night sky. _For the bloodthirsty battles for your precious gifts are only just beginning._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Amethyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note that I tend to go back to edit previous chapters (because of my annoying typos), and if you are reading from the beginning again, you might notice one or two added lines here or there. But not to worry, you didn’t really miss anything earth shattering. 
> 
> As always, enjoy and thanks again for your reading/fav/following etc. etc. But comments do make me extra happy!

* * *

Sakura did most of the talking. 

Somehow she ended up taking residence on Sasuke’s bed, legs drawn up to her chest with arms wrapped around them. Every now and then her toes would wiggle within pink-colored socks as she rocked her body gently. The wool hat was finally off her head revealing more of the soft shoulder-length pink tresses that would never grow another inch for the rest of her immortal life. Her eyes seemed to light up with an inner glow whenever she spoke about something particularly exciting; not that her teammates could understand why. She was only explaining to Sasuke the basic job of S.W.A.T. which made Naruto’s head nod every now and then in an effort not to fall asleep with boredom. 

Sasuke, for his part, was riveted with all the new information he was absorbing like a sponge. He sat with his arms crossed over the back of the office chair; gaze trained squarely on the girl who didn’t seem to shy away from his pestering questions. As Sakura began to lecture him on the different levels and branches of spirit warriors, Naruto finally interrupted curtly.

“Oh Christ! Are you seriously going to sit here all night talking about that, Sakura?” He arched his neck to look at Sasuke, who appeared upside to him since he was lying on the floor and resting upon his elbows. “Didn’t Kakashi tell you any of this stuff?”

Sasuke’s lips tightened; embarrassed to have to admit this. “We never really spoke much,” he finally confessed in a low mumble. “He’d only show up once in a while…or rather let me see him once in a while, but other than that he kept to himself and was content to protect me from afar.” He scratched absently at his upper arm, gaze lowered as he finished quietly. “Besides, he seemed more interested in my brother than me.”

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a quick glance before the blond sat up with a heavy sigh. He ran fingers through his hair restlessly and eyed the sword propped against the wall. Sasuke had finally cleaned the blade, and its dull gleam seemed just a tad bit more ominous than it ought to be. Next to it, Sai lay in silence; his gaze still trained on the television screen (a Chinese drama was now airing), though its volume was lowered, so he could still hear what was being said behind him.

“Damn Kakashi,” Naruto muttered irritably. “Bet he didn’t even teach you the basics.” He paused and then turned around to face Sakura and Sasuke. “But what about your brother?” he asked with a raised brow. “If I remember correctly, he was a fine spirit warrior. You’d think he’d teach you a few things here and there.”

Sasuke shook his head. “No. He never wanted me to be a part of it, so he deliberately kept me in the dark. From the moment I got the sharingan, he was eventually forced to tell me just what kind of side job he did. It all finally made sense why my brother was sometimes late in picking me up from school or whenever he went to buy groceries and it would take him forever to return.”

Sakura’s features fell in pity. Sasuke turned away from it, not sure if he appreciated that expression. He didn’t need anyone’s compassion, especially when he knew what price he and his family had to pay for being involved with this kind of business in the first place. 

“That sword,” she finally asked quietly. “It belonged to him, didn’t it?”

“Yes. I saw him use it only once, and only because I ignored his orders to remain home while he went to fight.” His red-tinted eyes seemed to soften at the memory; a barely visible smile coming to his lips. “My brother looked so awesome then,” he continued in a whisper. “And I think a part of me decided that it would become a spirit warrior like him, even if I knew it was a dangerous job.”

He stopped abruptly as if checking himself before looking up to meet the curious green eyes (he still couldn’t get himself to look at Naruto for longer than a minute). 

“What I don’t understand is why…how…” This time he did force himself to glance over at Naruto – who was trying to stifle yet another yawn – before turning to Sakura again. “You said something about different kind of spirit warriors. What did you mean by that?”

“Just like there are different kinds of humans with different talents and abilities, the same can be said for spirit warriors. There are those with enormous powers and those who are just good enough to fight your basic yōkai. However, not all spirit warriors are immortal. There are some mortals, though rare.”

“Why’s that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sakura asked kindly. “It’s the reason your entire family no longer exists.”

“They were too stubborn to want to become Immortals,” Naruto chimed in rudely. “How foolish.”

“Naruto!” Sakura cried out with widened eyes. 

“It’s the truth though,” Naruto continued relentlessly; blue eyes flashing with a hard glint that was not lost on the teen clutching the back of the chair with slightly trembling fingers. “The Uchihas, through the ages, always thought they were better than everyone else just because they were among the founding spirit warrior clans. They believed that mortal warriors could and would be more efficient in the long run; hence banishing and considering us immortals as tainted beings. They even went as far as trying to eliminate us.”

Sasuke’s brows shot up at this causing Naruto to give a cruel smile. “Oh yes. There is a way to get rid of immortals, so don’t think we’re that safe from every damn thing. Either way. That mentality seemed to have passed down from generation to generation and thanks to that, other clans sought ways to harness the Uchihas abilities for themselves. If the blasted fools didn’t want to choose the path of living forever, why not just eliminate them and take those powers for themselves? Many pointless wars were started because of you people, and what have you got to show for it?”

“Naruto!” Sakura cried out in disbelief, but the blond was too far gone to be stopped, and she could only watch in dismay as potential teacher and student clashed in a silent battle of wills. Sasuke’s lips were thinned to the point of nearly disappearing; his eyes shining just a little too bright though he refused to back down from the colder look thrown at him. 

“Where’s your brother buried?” Naruto asked suddenly.

“Naruto -”

“Where is he buried?” Naruto snapped impatiently.

“I don’t know! I don’t know, all right?!” Sasuke finally yelled out; knuckles turning white with the effort. His heart was a pounding drum in his chest. He felt he couldn’t breathe; every fiber in his being drawn taut as if ready to snap at just the littlest thing. Just what the hell was Naruto trying to pull here? Why the hell was he doing this? Why was he trying to make him remember one of the worst days of his life? 

“Of course you don’t,” Naruto sneered. “Because he was damn smart enough to make sure his body was never found. Who needs to have their bodies chopped up into pieces just so their special powers could be sold to the highest bidder? That’s the kind of world we’re living in, Sasuke. Welcome to your new life.”

“That’s enough, Naruto!” Sakura hissed as she rose to her feet with a fist clenched; more than ready to drive it into the blond’s face. However, Naruto was already ahead of her. In a near graceful motion, he leapt to his feet as well and began to back away. 

“I’m going to take a walk,” he announced flatly and left the apartment before anyone else could say another word. 

“That asshole,” Sakura growled and stomped a foot in frustration. Sai got up and gave a slow nod to the couple. 

“I’ll go talk to him,” he said quietly; leaving as well before he could be persuaded otherwise. 

For a while, neither Sakura nor Sasuke said a word to each other; the magnitude of what had just transpired weighing heavily on them. She wished she could say something to ease the turmoil she could feel rolling off the lowered dark head before her, but what could she say really? For all his anger, Naruto really did have the right to –

“Why him?” came the low moan as if wrenched from the depths of his soul. “Why him of all people? He fucking hates me, and I’m supposed to learn anything from him?” He gave a low laugh of bitterness before looking up again. The red tint was now a little brighter. “I might as well go back to living the way I was. There’s no way we can work together.”

“He’s not usually like that,” Sakura said quickly with a weak smile. “It’s just…he’s been through a lot over the years…centuries if you want. Sometimes it can just all come to a head, you know?”

Sasuke sighed and lowered his head to the chair again. “If he hates it so much, then why did he become immortal? I don’t get it.”

Sakura bit her lower lip. “I can’t speak for him, but in my case…” She shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist; the memory of that miserable night filling her mind again. “…I was afraid,” she finished in a trembling whisper. “I was afraid of Death and I was given a choice, so I took it.” 

She could still remember Tsunade-sama’s kind features – her savior - and she bit harder still. 

“What happened to you?” Sasuke asked curiously. “How did you…die?”

She started as if goosed and looked up with haunted eyes. 

“Die…how did I die?” she spoke haltingly as if Sasuke was no longer in the room with her, and indeed the room itself seemed to dissolve and she was back in that claustrophobic yet lavish boudoir. Layers of the finest silk and lace were wrapped around her young body, which in a few hours would be tainted with the hands of the feudal lord who purchased her for quite a large sum of money. 

The flickering flames within traditional lamps cast golden hues upon her creamy flesh, and despite the warm night, she shivered and hugged herself tightly. She could hear the loud laughter and conversations below; where the wedding party was still wrapping up for the night. She longed to throw herself out the window; recalling the heavy, drunken breath of her new husband as he proclaimed to the world that he had bought his bride for a pretty sum. How they had laughed and praised him for being so daring; for having the guts to purchase a geisha-in-training who would never know freedom again.

With a harsh sob, she rose to her feet; nearly tripping over the yards of fine cloth to dash toward the balcony. She would do it this time. She would climb the narrow railing and fling herself to the ground as hard as she could. She would be nothing more than splattered brains and broken bones in just a few moments. Yes. Let him marry that then. Let him have fun sticking his fat, ugly penis into the vagina of a dead woman.

However…

“Oh God,” she choked out when the wooden railing wobbled as she tried to step on it. Fear seized her in a vice grip and she backed away until she was sobbing into her arms on the floor. 

_Coward,_ her mind roared. _You’re nothing but a coward, Sakura! Why don’t you just do it? End it now! Save yourself from the horrors of what awaits you! He’ll be here in a few minutes and then it’s all over. You know it’s going to be all over!_

“Okay,” she panted breathlessly and tried to rise to her feet again. “Okay…this time…this time, I’ll…”

She gave a little cry as she heard the unmistakable footsteps outside the door. Panic filling her insides, she dove for the nearest object; not really thinking of what she was planning to do with it. It turned out to be a pair of golden scissors (just one of many bridal gifts showered upon her), and as the screen door opened, it was to reveal the weathered yet stern face of her mother-in-law. 

“Just what do you think you’re doing, you insolent child?” came the harsh words. “Put that scissors down and look presentable, for God’s sake!”

“Don’t come any closer!” Sakura screamed; eyes wide with fear and a look that was borderline psychotic. So much so her usual stoic mother-in-law actually took a step back in concern. “I’ll stab myself if you do!”

“The nerve!  You’ve obviously had too much wine to drink this evening. Give me those scissors right now…what on earth are you doing?!”

“Gaining my freedom!” Sakura shrieked hysterically. She had yanked handfuls of her thick long hair to begin snipping away unevenly…the tresses falling around her like gossamer pink clouds. “Don’t come near me! I warn you!”

“You’ve lost your mind!” the older woman cried out. “Come back here and let’s be reasonable. You’re clearly distraught.”  
  
She laughed out loud, snipping away faster and faster; fingers running through hair that no longer burdened her. Her feudal lord of a husband had worshipped the unique nature of it, but not anymore. He’d just have to deal with having a wife with an unpolished coif from now on. 

“I’ve always hated my hair long, did you know that?” she was still shrieking, unaware she was walking backwards as she did this and leaving a trail of her hair before her. “I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! I hate him!”

As if on cue, the screen door opened again, and this time it was to reveal the red-faced pudgy visage of her portly husband. He took one look at the scene and bellowed in disbelief. 

“Just what do you think you’re doing?! Come back here, you wench! I’ll teach you ways to disobey your husband!”

But she shook her head violently, muttering words that sounded eerily like ‘no more, no more, no more, never again’. She hardly felt herself climbing the very railing she had balked from earlier. All she could see were the now panicked (though angry) faces of her husband and his mother (and behind them more guests from the party showing up to see what the commotion was all about).

She stood, albeit shakily on the narrow wooden ledge, and spread her arms out. 

Ah, how wonderful the night breeze was upon her heated flesh. How weightless she felt despite the clothes whipping around her gently. She closed her eyes and decided to no longer think. This was going to be the end. She had been an embarrassment to her parents from the day she was born; her ‘odd’ way of being such a bookworm, always talking about seeing strange creatures that no one else could see, how they had sent her away because they were afraid of her ‘abilities’, and now…the ultimate humiliation. She would be free from all of that now. In Death, they could no longer reach her.

“Nooooooooooooo!!”

She had no idea who screamed, but the fall itself was nothing as dramatic as she had envisioned. The pain, however, was a whole other matter. Her skull must have shattered to bits because the world had somehow taken on a disjointed look –

(azure skies)

…and her mouth tasted really funny, sticky, and wet. 

She could vaguely hear voices; voices she was all too familiar with and she wondered if she really was dead at all. She hated to think she had even failed at something as simple as falling off a building, for the idea of spending the rest of her life in a hospital or being treated like a vegetable was more than she could bear. She tried to speak as she felt a shadow over her. She couldn’t see this person (or persons) and yet she was damn sure her eyes were open. 

“…call the ambulance!”  
“…cannot believe she did that…”  
“…she’s always been a strange one…”  
“…she’s not dead yet…still breathing…someone hurry…”

 _So I’m really alive after all,_ she thought sadly, yet almost ashamed that a small piece of her was glad for it. God, how weak she was to be afraid of finally going to the other side. Maybe she did deserve to be a trophy wife for the rest of her life.

“Not very fun to think about, is it?” came the quiet and very clear voice right next to her ear. 

She tried to turn her head to face the person; but she needn’t have for its owner leaned over her. Wise, beautiful brown eyes bored into her fading ones, and a hand reached out to caress her forehead tenderly. 

_Who are you?_ Sakura asked, sure that she was not actually speaking out loud and yet the woman, with the very big bosom and weird marking on her forehead, smiled in understanding. 

“It doesn’t matter who I am now, Haruno Sakura. The question is…do you want to be saved from this Hell that is your life? What if I offered you a chance to be anyone you wanted while living forever?”

_A vampire? You want me to become a creature of the night?_

“Far from it, my dear child. I’ve been watching you since you were born. You have a special gift that would make you very indispensable to us. Come with me, and I will teach you all that you could ever know and so much more, but you must make your decision quickly. Your human counterparts are about to take you away.”

“And so I did,” Sakura finished quietly. She was back on Sasuke’s bed, though lying on her back with her gaze trained blindly to the plain white ceiling. “I still don’t know how or what she did to me, but the next thing I knew…I was wide awake in her home; not a blemish or wound on me. I won’t lie and say it didn’t feel strange the first few weeks or so, but eventually, you get used to it.” She lifted her arm and splayed out as fingers as if examining them for the first time. “The only downside is that the way you die is the way you remain.” She caressed tendrils of her hair and rubbed them between her fingers. “It’s like your real self remains suspended in time, so you look and sometimes remain eighteen in physical appearance, but your mind ages with every year that ticks away.”

“…but you’re almost like vampires,” Sasuke remarked quietly. “And here I thought those things were just figments of someone’s overactive imaginations.”

“We don’t drink blood,” Sakura explained with a soft smile. “We eat and sleep and breathe just like you. The only difference is that we are…well…immortal for the most part and have really strong spiritual powers. Mortal spirit warriors can be strong, but it’s limited – which is why your brother…”

She stopped and cleared her throat. “I guess why Naruto was so upset is because Itachi had the choice to become Immortal, and he refused. Just think of how powerful he would have become then; your power is ten times…no a hundred times more potent in that state. We could have used someone like him at S.W.A.T. but no matter how many times he was courted…he was adamant on remaining close to you. I guess I could understand his reasoning for that. He loved you very much.”

Sasuke made a low sound of derision and looked away; though his cheeks were tinted with color at Sakura’s deduction. Either way, it still didn’t explain a lot of things, and though he had to wonder why a part of him felt a little ache at asking this, it was just the way Naruto had acted toward the whole situation in the first place. Sakura’s words weren’t helping either.

“Did…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “Were they close? My brother and Naruto?”

Sakura shrugged lightly. “I don’t know. I know he and Kakashi were, but Naruto was often a loner, and if he made friends with anyone, they were rare.” She smiled sadly. “After you watch a lot of your mortal friends grow old and die, you tend to want to keep your distance and not get too attached.”

“I see…” He captured his lower lip between his teeth. “So it really was him back then.”

“Back then?”

Sasuke shook his head lightly. “Something that happened to me…and my brother a long time ago. I just remember a fire and my brother not being able to reach me and then someone coming in to rescue me from the flames. It was probably Naruto…or maybe someone that looked like him.”

Sakura smiled softly. “I wouldn’t doubt it. Naruto does have a kind heart; maybe too kind sometimes. He’s just had a very rough time of it the last few years, so please bear with him. I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.”

“I’m not holding my breath.”

She laughed and rose to her feet. “I’ll let you get some rest now. It’s been a long day for everyone and you’ve got school tomorrow, don’t you?”

Sasuke blinked hard. In all the excitement, he really had forgotten he had some homework to finish up. He glanced at the clock. It was almost one in the morning. Shit.

“Sorry,” Sakura winced in apology. “We’ll leave you now. I’ll set up a barrier using the barrier wands.”

“Barrier wands?”

“Uh huh.” She reached for her bag to dig through it, removing a pack of what looked like bronze bamboo sticks. She took two out and wrapped her hands around them tightly for a few seconds before removing them to release a flickering green flame that gave off no smoke. “Come…I’ll show you how it’s done, so you can do it yourself from now on. Barrier wands are effective for short-term use or for those who cannot sustain concentration for too long. They aren’t as powerful though, so extremely strong _yōkai_ have the potential of breaking through. However, these should be fine for now, but if you have any problems, I’ll leave our cell phone numbers for you to reach us.”

She led him outside the apartment, where the entire building was much quieter as most of its occupants were fast asleep. Sasuke watched as she stuck the wands into the walls on either side of his door and stepped back with a nod of accomplishment.

“There. Don’t worry about anyone seeing them…and by that I mean other humans. The barrier is invisible and so are the wands. If you want to extinguish the flames, just cover them like this…don’t worry, they won’t burn you…and try to channel your chakra into them…remember to will the energy surge to be cool. I know you Uchihas have an affinity for fire, so this could take a little practice. Here…give it a try.”

Sasuke did as told, although slightly nervous as his fingertips hovered over the flames, but true to her word; they did not burn at all. It almost felt like moving your fingers through something feather-like. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his entire hand around each wand; closing his eyes and feeling the flames tickle his palm as he concentrated. 

_Uchihas have an affinity for fire, eh?_ No kidding. He could already feel the bubbling heat forming in the pit of his stomach, and he had to grit his teeth in an effort to let his mind conjure up the chakra needed. He tried to think of the coldest things possible. Ice cream. Ice blocks. Snow…

_(the eyes of a certain angry blond)_

“Oooh…you’re doing great,” Sakura praised in delight. “Looks like they’re almost gone…oops…back up again.”

“Fuck,” he cursed as he lifted his lashes and eyed the flames that were now brighter than ever. “Almost had it.”

“It’s all right. Just keep practicing, and you’ll get the hang of it. You need to get some sleep though. I can’t be held responsible for you being late to school.”

Sasuke gave a wan smile and released the wands. He accepted the pack she gave him and mentally vowed to practice sometime in school tomorrow when no one else was watching obviously. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled self-consciously just as she was about to leave. He hated to admit that it already felt empty and lonely without the trio to keep him company.  “I…uh…really appreciate it…all of you…including him.” He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Sakura grinned. “It’s our pleasure. You can trust us, all right? Goodnight!” She spun on her heels to walk away, but stopped to look over her shoulder with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Oh, and I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed a couple of your BL novels. I’m especially loving the one called “Pool Boys”. I’ll return them soon. I promise!”

Sasuke sputtered and turned a lovely shade of red in an effort to try explaining just why he had such a collection in the first place. Unfortunately, Sakura was already laughing and skipping away. 

_(ah what the hell. Let them think whatever they like)_  
Her lingering smell of sakura petals (and roses), would remain with him long after she was no longer visible to the naked eye. He wondered if it was the same scent she always had from the day she fell off that building over a hundred years ago, though – as he prepared for bed – he found himself thinking about Naruto and Sai’s deaths as well. 

Who made them immortal, and had it been their choice to be so?

He seriously doubted Naruto would ever tell him such a story considering how shaky their relationship was. They would have to learn how to get along with each other in the first place, and that – Sasuke thought with a heavy sensation in his heart – was a miracle that might never come to pass.

__

Sai found him on the rooftop with his gaze trained on the opposite buildings and a frown on his visage.

“We had company,” he said without looking around to acknowledge Sai’s presence. 

“I felt it too,” came the quiet reply. “Who do you think they were?”

“Only one way to find out.”

He took a deep breath and began to run; legs pumping at a steady pace until they became nothing more than a blur. And just when one thought he was going to run right off the roof and to his death several stories below, he leapt in a most spectacular fashion; allowing the familiar rush of defying gravity to fill his lungs until it could expand no more. He resisted the urge to ‘whoop!’ in delight, and settled for a small smile instead. It felt good to beat against the wind like this; to feel it try to keep you back as you burst through the invisible barrier set against you. It seemed to scream that it was unnatural for anyone to be able to jump such long distances (like you were flying for fuck’s sake!), but Naruto had come to realize that no matter how many times he did it, the thrill was like a shot of adrenaline to the system. He loved it, and besides, it was as good excuse as any to take his mind off what had just happened in Sasuke’s apartment. 

Damn if that kid looking at him with such anguish hadn’t struck a nerve, much to his chagrin.

He landed lithely onto the rooftop where Neji and Hinata had stood earlier. He barely heard Sai appear beside him, only instead of leaping, the guy had drawn himself a pair of wings on each shoe.

“Surprised you didn’t go for a flying car,” Naruto teased as he fell to his haunches to investigate further. 

“Thanks for the tip,” Sai replied with a smile. “Maybe next time.”

He stooped beside Naruto and ran his fingers across the stone surface. “Spirit warriors…and not your average kind either.”

Naruto was nodding; the frown back on his visage. “I think I’ve felt this presence before, and if it’s who I think it is…damn.”

Sai watched him carefully. “Who?”

Naruto rose to his feet and paced to the ledge. “What clans have authority over this section of the city?”

Sai dug out his notepad of endless information (apparently), and raised his brow. “Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka.”

“Couldn’t be any of those three,” Naruto deduced as he spied something glowing dully beneath a water pipe. He reached out to pick it. 

“What’s that?” Sai asked as Naruto stood to hold a tiny broken piece from what must have been black quartz. 

“Morion,” Naruto murmured. “Members of the Hyūga clan tend to wear a ring around their index finger. That ring is made of black quartz or morion. It’s the only mineral that can neutralize their powers when not in battle. Someone was careless.”

“The Hyūga?” Sai looked incredulous. “They are daring to encroach on another’s territory already? I’m surprised the clans here haven’t shown up yet.”

Naruto smirked, for as if on cue, he heard the unmistakable sounds of three spirit warriors arriving right behind them.

“Looks like they noticed too,” Naruto remarked before turning around to face the motley crew. He nodded at the leader; a man about his age whose features looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. His black hair was tied in a ponytail above his head, the diamond studs in his ears gleaming beneath the pale moonlight. A lit cigarette dangled from the corner of his lips, and he took a quick drag before crushing it beneath a leather boot.

“Naruto,” he greeted calmly.

“’Sup, Shika,” Naruto greeted jovially. 

“Don’t ‘sup me,” Nara Shikamaru – for that was his full name – replied with a light snort and shake of his head. “Didn’t think you’d ever come out of your retirement.”

“I got the itch again,” Naruto replied with a snicker. “What can I say?”

“I thought you were suspended,” the lone female in the group remarked coldly. Her waist-length blond hair seemed to shimmer with every gentle gust of wind; teal-colored eyes filled with intelligence yet boredom most pretty girls like her tended to have. She was dressed in a pair of skin tight black shorts and matching tank top revealing her toned arms, abs, and legs – despite the cold weather. Apparently, she wasn’t shy about her physique. 

“You wish I was suspended, Ino,” Naruto greeted with a deliberate examination of her body from head to toe. Her blush and huff before looking away had him grinning again. He nodded at the final member, who was busy digging through a bag he had draped around his shoulder to pull out a chocolate bar. His heavy-set figure betrayed just how good a spirit warrior he was. His long red hair fell to his waist, and as he just about swallowed the entire candy, his cheeks puffed out with relish at his dessert.

“Hi, Naruto,” came the garbled yet cheerful greeting. “Long time no see.”

“Nice to see you again, Chouji.” He stepped toward Sai. “You all know him, don’t you?”

The trio nodded, and Ino took a step toward the ledge, her gaze trained on Sasuke’s apartment. She must have seen something she didn’t like because her lips thinned in disapproval. 

“They’re just talking,” Naruto explained with a roll of his eyes. “She’s not hitting on him. But damn, Ino. Isn’t he too young for you? You’re like a hundred and fifteen or something, aren’t you?”

“Shu…shut up!” she sputtered in embarrassment. “We’ve been watching him too, you know.”

“Which is why we’re here,” Shikamaru interrupted with a pointed look at Naruto. “We felt the presence of the Hyuga and came as fast as we could. Did you see them?”

“No.” The morion burned a hole in his pocket, but he refused to show it to them. “Sai and I just arrived a few moments ago.”

“We might have missed them by just a few minutes,” Chouji replied as he examined the surroundings with narrowed eyes . 

“Damn.” Shikamaru frowned. He was still watching Naruto intently. “This is not good. You realize that, don’t you? With Sasuke’s powers becoming more evident, more rival clans are going to show up.”

“Then you handle them,” Naruto replied with a raised brow. “You let me do my job, and I’ll stay out of yours.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Sasuke’s my problem, and I’ll be in charge of him as I was directed. I don’t need you three meddling in our affairs. Got it?”

“You have a nerve,” Ino began, but Naruto raised a hand to silence her with a finger outstretched, though his gaze was still fixed on Shikamaru. 

“Not another word, Beautiful, or you’ll be wanting to claw out your tongue for a week.” He focused on Shikamaru again. “So? What say you? You let me, Sai and Sakura handle Sasuke, and you do the dirty work of keeping the enemies away…or maybe you three have plans to take him too? Never did trust your clans anyhow.” He gave a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Don’t be silly,” came the calm reply. “If we were interested in him, we would have taken him months ago. We have no interest in the Uchiha. All we care about is keeping the peace in this city. We are not naïve enough to believe we won’t begin dealing with an influx of rivals. Just promise not to cause any unnecessary problems, Naruto. Your track record recently hasn’t exactly been…stellar.”

“Fuck you,” Naruto hissed.

Shikamaru smiled and reached out to place a hand upon the blond’s shoulder. “Easy now. We’re not your enemies…yet.”

Naruto shrugged off the friendly gesture and sneered in derision. “Stay out of our way. If I even get a whiff of you near him, I’ll kill you all. I swear it.”

For a moment, Shikamaru’s lips thinned in annoyance before he shrugged lightly. “Let’s go, Ino…Chouji. There’s nothing more to see here.”

The other two leapt into the air and vanished from sight, leaving Shikamaru standing on the ledge for a moment in quiet contemplation. He finally turned around to face Sai and Naruto. 

“I realize why you were chosen to be with Sasuke, but I won’t lie and say that many of us weren’t worried as well. We know your unlimited potential especially when you get into that state. If you go berserk again, Naruto, we really might have no other choice but to take you out. Most of the clan heads have discussed that and come to an agreement. I’m not sure if Tsunade or Jiraiya told you, but…try to control yourself as best you can. All right?”

Naruto remained silent, though it was clear that this bit of information was news to him. He looked pale, but furious at the same time. Just how much were that old hag and perverted bastard keeping from him?

_(from the day you were born, you were always a curse. Remember?)_

“He’s finally gone,” Sai said quietly. “It really does appear as if we do not have much time, Naruto.” He watched the blond’s profile. “You do realize what this means, don’t you? You’re going to have to put your differences aside with Sasuke and begin training him as quickly as possible.”

At Naruto’s stubborn silence, Sai clenched his jaw tightly. “For God’s sake Naruto. Why do you dislike him so much? It’s not his fault he was born into that family, so why take out your frustrations about Itachi upon him? Is it because you see Itachi when you look at him? I wasn’t even aware that you two were that close -”

“That’s enough, Sai,” Naruto interrupted tightly. “You don’t have to begin lecturing me like Sakura for fuck’s sake. I am more than aware of what I have to do, so lay off me, all right? Secondly, it’s got nothing to do with Itachi...much. I’m just pissed that they, and I include goddamn Kakashi in this, didn’t even bother teaching him a damn thing! How irresponsible is that?!”

“Then do the right thing and fix what’s been broken as best you can.”

“I’m not fixing a damn thing,” Naruto grumbled as he walked past Sai, though his paranoid side wondered if he and Sakura had known about the clans’ decision when it came to his _biju_ mode. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to gather himself. What was the use of getting upset over this now? Hadn’t he always known he wasn’t really trusted by the higher ups? This was his fate after all.

He lifted his lashes and spoke aloud. “I’m going to do the best I can and that’s it. It’s up to the brat if he learns quickly or not. Anyway, let’s go find the apartment. I’m done for the day.” And beneath his breath, he mumbled a “Can’t believe I get to share space with you either, you clean freak.”

Sai smirked but said nothing. He had never worked with Naruto before, and had only gone by the rumors and tales told about him while at S.W.A.T. However, just after a day in this man’s presence, Sai was beginning to have an idea of just how fascinating this spirit warrior really was. No wonder he was looked up with awe, fear, and exasperation. 

Uzumaki Naruto really was an enigma, and Sai doubted there was anyone out there who could truly understand (and deal with) the force of nature he was.

 

__

 

Sasuke barely made it with five minutes to spare.

He ignored the glare the teacher on duty gave him as he dashed into the building and toward his locker. He changed into his school shoes and tossed aside the two pink envelopes sitting atop his books. He had no time to figure out who his new lovesick fans were, but he did feel ten times more revitalized than ever. For the first time in days, he had actually had a dreamless night, and the bags under his eyes weren’t so prominent today. He had no headaches. His eyes didn’t feel like someone had poured hot oil into them, and he had managed to deflect two half-formed _yōkai_ on the way with merely a channel of his _chidori_ (Sakura had told him what it was called when he explained some of his new found powers to her). Luckily, he remembered to pocket the mineral remains for appraisal later. If what Sakura had said was right, he hoped he’d get a good price for them. 

Speaking of which, he wondered if he’d get to see them after school today. They’d probably come back to his apartment, and hopefully he’d be mentally and emotionally ready for them.

_(especially for him)_

He would never admit to anyone that he had spent the morning, while brushing his teeth, trying to come up with ways to approach Naruto. He had practiced from polite greetings to simply telling Naruto to shove his attitude up his ass and to be his goddamn teacher. However, Sasuke had a feeling that if he went that far, Naruto really might get pissed off and kill him for the hell of it. Best to play it safe and act like the obedient student.

“Good morning, class!”

There was the familiar scrap of chairs across the floor as the students rose to their feet to do the customary greeting. He sat back down and dug into his bag for the appropriate textbook (Math first thing in the morning) and nearly missed the tail end of the teacher’s comments.

“…new student today. Introduce yourself please.”

“Good morning,” came the cheerful and oh-so-familiar voice, which had him looking up so quickly, he almost gave himself whiplash. “My name is Haruno Sakura, and I’m pleased to meet you!”

_What the hell?!_

She grinned and bowed politely, eliciting several sighs of delight from a majority of the male students and some envious looks from their female counterparts. Dressed in the short green plaid skirt, white shirt beneath a white sweater, dark green knee-high socks, and a matching green bow on top of her head, Sakura could very well pass for a second-year high school student without rousing any suspicion. She winked at Sasuke as she was told to sit in an empty seat in the front row, and it was only then that he realized his mouth was open and he was about ready to drool on his desk.

_What the hell was she doing here?!_

Unfortunately, he couldn’t read minds and was left to stare at the back of that pink hair; mind racing at the notion that if she was here, then Sai and Naruto could be around the grounds as well! 

Needless to say, the rest of the class was torture for him. Between staring at Sakura and looking out the window in case Naruto or Sai would pop up to surprise him, he couldn’t concentrate much on one of his favorite subjects. The bell couldn’t ring fast enough to signal the end of lecture, but just as he assumed he’d have an opportunity to speak to her, she was surrounded by a group of girls (and some love struck) boys who wanted her attention. He left the room with a frown of consternation, only to grunt with pain as he bumped hard into someone.

“Will you please watch where you’re going,” he began irritably, only to lift his gaze to meet the now familiar dark eyes filled with amusement. 

“Shouldn’t I be saying the same? You’re looking well this morning, Sasuke. Did you sleep all right?”

Sasuke tried to form some kind of coherent response, but failed miserably as he took in the man dressed just like him; dark green blazer over a white shirt and black pants. Sai smiled – or at least Sasuke assumed it was supposed to be a friendly smile, but it came across as a little calculated. He took a step back and tried to gather himself.

“You’re here too,” he finally said quietly. 

“That’s right. I’m a third year student apparently,” Sai mused with a shrug. “Still, it’s a good way to protect you. There’s a barrier around the school in case you haven’t noticed.”

He hadn’t until now. it would explain why he hadn’t felt the presence of any pesky yokai since he arrived. In fact, now that he thought about it, most of the yōkai usually seen hovering around some students seemed subdued or not visible at all. That would explain things. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled in embarrassment.

“No problem. Just go about your day and try to forget about them. We’re here to protect you, remember?”

Sasuke nodded, though there was one thing still bothering him. He looked down the hallway behind Sai, perhaps assuming _he_ would be strolling down with a group of adoring boys hanging on to his every word. Naruto seemed to have an aura of ‘cool’ around him; something that was sure to attract attention whether he liked it or not. 

God, he hoped Naruto hadn’t chosen to be a student. Sasuke had a feeling he couldn’t deal with it.

“If you’re wondering about your _sensei_ ,” Sai said with a small smirk. “He’s in the only place where he’s not likely to cause any trouble or stand out. You’re smart, aren’t you? You should be able to figure it out.”

Unfortunately, he would have to wait to do his investigating as the bell rang for the next class to begin. He forced himself to focus on his studies, and by lunch time, he had almost forgotten his quest to find Naruto until Sakura accosted him on his way to his favorite eating spot.

“Phew!” she gasped breathlessly with pleasure etched all over her features. She looked even younger than her age; her happiness almost contagious. It really could be easy to fall for someone like her. “I’ve forgotten how crazy high school can be.”

“You couldn’t have been to high school back in the early 1900s,” Sasuke replied with a raised brow. 

“Silly. I did a few undercover assignments in high school settings before, but it’s been a while.” She eyed his lunch bag. “Hmm? Where are you going by the way? You don’t like eating in the cafeteria?”

Sasuke wasn’t sure he wanted to share this information with her, considering it was his ‘secret’ eating spot, but then again, she was going to be his guardian, wasn’t she? What was the point in hiding the information from her anyway?

“I usually eat over -”

**Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!**

_(what the fuck?!)_

The deafening shrill whistle so close to his ear had him nearly screaming in surprise. He spun around to confront the jerk responsible for the prank, when the words died in his throat at the sight before him. 

_(of course…why didn’t I figure this out earlier?)_

Whistle still between his pursed lips (as if ready to let it rip one more time in case Sasuke did anything stupid), Uzumaki Naruto was dressed in a green tracksuit with the school’s emblem etched on his chest. He grinned mischievously around the object ignoring the icy glare now coming his way. 

“What are you two naughty kids up to?” he asked and folded his arms across his chest; his quest to look like an authoritative figure not quite as effective. “Shouldn’t you be in the cafeteria eating?”

“We don’t want to eat there, _sensei_ ,” Sakura replied with a huff and sticking out of her tongue. “We’re going to our favorite place.”

“Oh you are, are you? And where would that be?”

“None of your business,” Sasuke snapped impatiently. He wasn’t sure if it was the idea of knowing Naruto was a teacher or that he was already setting out to be even more of a jerk with his new position, but he’d be damned if he was going to keep taking the subtle insults.

“Ooh? Someone’s suddenly developed a set of balls overnight,” Naruto sneered; blue eyes lit up with amusement. “Did they finally drop after all these years?”

Sasuke’s entire being flushed with heat and before he could control himself, he lashed out; clenched fist laced with chakra he hadn’t even been aware of conjuring up as he dove for Naruto. He could vaguely hear Sakura calling out his name, but all Sasuke could think – as his head pounded and his vision blurred – was to inflict some kind of pain on the smirking blue-eyed bastard in front of him.

And perhaps he would have, if Naruto didn’t suddenly do that vanishing act again, but only to appear behind Sasuke in a flash. Sasuke bit back his cry of pain as his chakra-charged arm was twisted behind him. He tried to attack with his free hand, but Naruto roughly thrust a thigh between his and arched his leg around Sasuke’s in a way to keep him immobile, before slapping a hand over the boy’s eyes.

“You really should practice restraint, Sasuke,” came the husky whisper into his ear; which sent a reluctant shiver of awareness down his spine. Naruto’s warm breath brushed his skin like a lover’s caress, and he burned at just how intimate a position they really were despite the numbing pain coursing through him at the same time. 

“Consider this your first lesson,” Naruto continued in that same whisper that was now causing a whole other kind of ache within Sasuke. He swallowed and tried to even his breathing; hopelessly aware of just how delightfully _hard_ Naruto’s body felt against him. 

“Don’t attack your _sensei_ if you aren’t ready to inflict some real pain on him. Besides…not in full view of your classmates, eh? We don’t want to give them a show, do we?”

“Fuck…you…” Sasuke grated through clenched teeth. For that, he received a low laugh that was punctuated with a hard squeeze of the trapped arm. 

“You’re going to break it, Naruto,” Sakura cut in angrily. “Let him go already! People are beginning to look at us.”

That seemed to do the trick as Naruto finally pulled back, which in turn sent Sasuke falling to his knees with his throbbing arm cradled to his chest. There was no way he could look up at the arguing couple above him, for his entire being was still dealing with a feverish heat that had absolutely nothing to do with his twisted appendage. He tried to blame it all on those damn games and books he played and read; wishing to goodness that nights spent before the computer screen would not be confused with reality’s painful truth. It was one thing to find yourself being engrossed in make-believe stories of two male characters in love (or lust), but even worse was finding yourself attracted to someone who didn’t respect you and worse still, considered you a _kid_ to be made fun of.

It would take him a moment to realize that there was something in front of him. He blinked hard and allowed his clouded vision to notice it was a hand…Naruto’s hand. 

“I’m sorry,” came the tight apology as if forced to make it with a gun to his forehead. Except the gun was the pink-haired girl with folded arms across her chest and a thunderous scowl on her visage. 

“Truce?”

Sasuke looked at the offered hand as if it was likely to bite.

“Look, we got off on the wrong foot, all right?” Naruto continued with a heavy sigh. “I apologize. So…let’s try to just get along and get this thing over and done with. What do you say?”

_What do I say? I say I want to know all about you. I want to know why you’re so angry. I want to know what makes you tick. I want to understand where you draw your strength from. I want to know just how close you were to my brother. I want to know if you loved him, and if you resent him for not wanting to join you for all eternity. I want to get stronger. I want you to treat me as an equal. I want you to give me a genuine smile for once. I want you to whisper in my ear like that again, but with words that will make me melt at your feet. I want -_

“Hey, don’t leave me hanging here. Are you going to shake the damn hand or not? I’m not going to be nice forevURGHTHEHELL?!”

It had taken a moment, but it was the opportunity he had been looking for. With Naruto not quite on his guard and about to go into another rant, Sasuke had reached out for the hand and pulled with all the strength he could muster. The result was Naruto being lifted and tossed over his shoulder to land flat on his back with a rather painful thud. Just your basic judo grappling skill.

Sasuke got to his feet and dusted his hands together, while Sakura was doubled over in laughter. 

The two men eyed each other in silence, and as Sasuke raised a brow in open defiance – daring the older man to do something in retaliation – Naruto shook his head and closed his eyes, a small reluctant smile coming to his features.

“The balls did drop after all,” he muttered and raised his middle finger in salutation. “Don’t expect me to go easy on you, Uchiha Sasuke. Today was just a lucky shot, got it?”

Sasuke nodded and dared to tell his damn heart to stop beating so fucking fast. 

“Yes, _sensei_ ,” he said with quiet determination. “I will be ready.”

 

 


	5. Copper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving! (to those who celebrate it). My thanks to those who take the time to leave a kudos, though I still appreciate reading your comments/feedback as well. : )
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

“ _Sasuke! Sasuke! Can you hear me?!”_

_He longs to respond, but he cannot. His voice has been stolen by the living nightmare around him. He dares not even breathe, for the very act seems to be a lesson in pain. Billowing clouds of black smoke suffocate him, the hungry orange and yellow flames greedily licking and swallowing every item he had once considered precious._

_“Sasuke! Stay where you are, all right? I’m coming to get you! Don’t move!”_

**_It’s no use, nii-san! You can’t come any closer! You’re going to die,_ ** _he wants to cry out just as another loud groan from above signals the descent of yet another wooden rafter of what used to be the roof. He grimaces and curls even tighter into a ball against the wall; a wall that’s just as scorching as everything else he dares touch. His bare legs are already covered with soot and ash; his toes barely moving away in time from the slither of fire threatening to engulf them. His eyes sting and water as he thinks he sees the silhouette of his older brother at the doorway, but it’s got to be a figment of his imagination. There’s no way Itachi can get to him with all the obstacles between them. There is, literally, a wall of fire separating the brothers now._

_He draws his knees tighter to his chest and buries his soot-covered face against them. He knows he’s going to die even if his wonderful brother does his very best. Perhaps it was poetic justice; after all, hadn’t he overheard most of the kids (and some adults) in the neighborhood muttering about how this house was cursed in the first place? They claim it is full of evil spirits, and even he began to believe the stories despite Itachi’s attempts to convince him otherwise._

_There are no such things as evil spirits, Itachi had said. They are only lying._  
 _But they say the evil spirits are the ones who killed Mom and Dad._  
 _That’s not true. Our parents died in a car accident, remember? Who are you going to believe? Me or a bunch of gossipers out there?_

_And for a while, he truly did try to believe; to hold on to the innocent child within willing to continue to see the world through rose-colored glasses despite the streak of bad luck to come their way recently. How can he tell his brother that he sometimes dreads returning home on some days? That having to listen to his classmates tease him about being a “bake-mono” is more than he can bear? How does he tell his brother that he sometimes wishes they’d just move away and leave this haunted house with all its darkest secrets? He might be only five years old, but there are just some things he’s sure he sees and hears that Itachi might never understand._

_“Sasuke! Goddamnit!”_

_More beams from the ceiling fall and create a spectacular display of sparks; feeding into the flames which seem to swell with gluttonous intent. Sweat pours off him in rivulets, and yet he cannot look up. He can vaguely hear the sound of sirens, but his vision (and mind) is fading fast. He wishes – more than anything – that he had at least finished the last meal his precious brother had made for dinner last night. He wishes he could have stayed up a little longer to listen to the bed time story read to him; to see that face one last time, to touch him, and to tell him beyond all else, just how much he really, really loved him._

_Never again, he thinks sadly; hardly feeling the wet sensation of his tears upon his cheeks. I’ll never get to see you again, nii-san. I’ll be sure to tell Mom and Dad hello when I see them soon. I’ll always, always lo-_

_His thoughts are interrupted rudely as a loud crash and the sudden gust of fresh air has him wincing and looking up through wet lashes. He still cannot see what’s going on much, but there is no mistaking the presence of something (or someone) seeming to swoop down from above to wrap a strong arm around his waist. He is lifted up effortlessly, the words from his rescuer –_

_/Just hang on to me, kid. I’m going to get you out of here, okay?!/_

_…barely registering as he clings on for dear life. All he remembers is just how yellow this man’s hair is; that his eyes – as blue as the oceans in his picture books - seem wild yet warm and kind, and that he smells so much like … like …_

_(home)_

_He never wants to let go, and yet the sirens seem to be getting louder, shriller, but intense, until it threatens to rip a hole right through his skull. He wants to make it stop, but he now has trouble opening his eyes, and he wonders if the smoke has finally made him blind. He reaches out desperately for help; perhaps the man with the yellow hair would be of some assistance, but the more he tries, the further it seems out of reach until…_

__

 

**THUD.**

“Oooouch. The fuuuuck…?” came the groggy complaint laced with pain. He was now flat on his back on the floor, of his bedroom, with the blanket tangled around his legs. 

The shrill noise was coming from right beside him, and it was slowly driving him nuts. He reached for the offending object; assuming it was his alarm clock (though why it would suddenly start making siren noises was confusing in itself), only to find himself staring dumbly at his cell phone with the name: 

“GREATEST SENSEI EVER” 

…flashing on the screen.

 _Is this a prank?_ was his first confused thought as he pressed the button and replied cautiously. “Hello?”

“Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!” came the familiar annoying whistle and greeting so loud, Sasuke had to hold the device away from his ear. 

_Of all the –_

“Do you know what time it is?” he barked as he eyed the clock. The hell? It was only five in the morning!

“Yes, I do know what time it is, Sunshine,” Naruto drawled with clear amusement in his tone. Someone was definitely enjoying himself. “And if I were you, I’d be getting my ass out of bed ASAP. If you don’t want to be late for school, that is.”

“I don’t leave the house until seven,” Sasuke replied irritably as he struggled to his feet in preparations to return to bed. He had stayed up late last night trying to catch up with school work and practice using the barrier wands as well. His worrisome nightmare hadn’t helped the cause either and now _this_. 

“Besides,” he added quickly as he tossed the pillow back in its place. “I use the train.”

“Not anymore you don’t.”

“…what?!”

“I took the liberty of confiscating your train pass, Mister. Oh, and your bus pass as well.”

Sasuke’s mouth opened and shut in disbelief. Perhaps hoping Naruto was bluffing, he dashed toward his school bag, emptied its contents to the floor, found his wallet, dug through it and to his dismay, he could not find the familiar plastic cards used for his daily transportation to school. 

“Thought I was lying?”

“How did you…when did you…?”

“While you were sleeping like an angel,” Naruto teased. “By the way, you do look adorable when sleeping. I took a picture with your cell phone. Check it if you like. Good thing I didn’t put it on Facebook or what’s that thing called? Instagram?”

Sasuke could feel the blush filling his cheeks, as trembling fingers did as told. To his chagrin, Naruto was right. There were two photos of him tucked beneath the blanket like a child, and even one of the cheeky blond bastard making a peace sign right next to Sasuke’s head, with the biggest shit-eating grin in history. He deleted them quickly; burning up as Naruto cackled like the evil son-of-a-bitch he was. In fact, not only had Naruto managed to unlock his phone to take the pictures, change his ringtone (to the annoying police siren sounds), but he had edited his name among his contacts to the self-congratulatory “Greatest Sensei Ever”, Sakura became “The Pink-Haired Talkative” and Sai was “Creepy Dude”. What else had the asshole done while he was asleep? And there really was no point asking how Naruto had gotten into his apartment in the first place.  

He could feel a headache coming on.

“How the fuck am I supposed to get to school now?” he finally growled as he lessened the damage by changing back his ringtone to its usual theme. “And how the hell did you unlock my phone?!”

“Really? Using Itachi’s birthday as your password? Any moron could have figured that out.”

The blush this time did not fade so easily. Sasuke wished the ground would open and swallow him whole. He had chosen Itachi’s birthday for sentimental reasons, obviously, but knowing that Naruto had figured it out so quickly… 

_Damn._

He made a mental note to create an even tougher password; one that the spirit warrior would never be able to crack easily. 

“As for how you get to school…how else?” Naruto was saying. “Use what the good Lord gave you.”

“What?”

“Your legs, Uchiha Sasuke. Your L-E-G-S. Legs.”

Sasuke looked dumbly down at his sweatpants in bemusement. “What are you trying to say?”

“Is it really too early in the morning for you? Or is your brain just not cooperating?” Naruto’s hard edge was returning. “You’re going to be walking – or I’m assuming you should start running if you really don’t want to be late because you’ve still got detention for throwing your _sensei_ to the ground, remember?”

Sasuke groaned. Yes, his little stunt to prove himself worthy of being Naruto’s student, unfortunately, hadn’t gone unseen by one of the senior staff. Naruto had stood there nodding and feeling sorry for himself while the teacher had apologized for Sasuke’s ‘rude behavior’. His punishment for harassing a teacher? Well, it was all up to Naruto- _sensei_ ; something that had pleased the blond greatly. Who knew what was planned for him after school today?

“From now on, Sunshine, we are going to work on your stamina and it begins with you running to and from school each and every day.”

Sasuke choked in disbelief. “What the…?! That’s over ten miles each way!”

“I really don’t give a fuck if it’s ten miles or three hundred miles,” Naruto interrupted curtly, and there was something in the blond’s tone that had Sasuke realizing the teasing had stopped. “You’re a mortal, which already puts you at a disadvantage when you come in contact with immortals. Your brother was an exception though. Could never figure out how he was able to be so damn fast sometimes, but that’s beside the point. **You** are going to have to build up your stamina because at this level, you won’t even last a minute with a true spirit warrior.”

Sasuke’s lips tightened. It hurt to have to hear the truth about how weak he was, but hadn’t he told Naruto and Sakura that he’d be ready for them? This was only the beginning, wasn’t it?

“Now get your shit together and start heading out. You’ve got less than thirty minutes to get ready if you want to make it on time. Ciao!”

He hung up before Sasuke could get another word in, but it was more than enough to get the teen darting into the bathroom to do as he was told. 

By the time he stepped out to a chilly morning, he was not only feeling a little apprehensive, but incredibly – 

“Stretching is a good way to get started,” came the voice above him. “Don’t want you pulling a muscle.”

Sasuke spun around with a ready glare, for there was the bane of his existence perched on the wall, dressed in the now familiar green tracksuit with a smirk on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Naruto asked innocently.

Sasuke’s clenched fists trembled before he snapped angrily. “What’s wrong? You ate every fucking thing in my fridge! I had no breakfast!”

“Did I now?” Naruto’s eyes widened; the blue almost startling against the shadows created on his features. The sun hadn’t yet broken over the horizon, and only two early risers and a sleeping dog kept them company. “I guess I was so hungry I didn’t know when to stop.”

“Why you…!”

“Don’t worry. Sakura will buy you breakfast at school, but here …”

Sasuke barely caught the honey bun tossed in his direction, and was just about to consider Naruto so kind enough to buy him something, when he realized it was actually _his_ honey bun – the one he had been saving for lunch today anyway. He looked up at the blond in exasperation. 

“You really are a cheap ass-”

“You’re wasting time,” Naruto cried out and rose to his feet, ready to blow the whistle. However, fearful that his neighbors would awaken to find out what the commotion was about, Sasuke waved his hands in panic and began to jog off at a steady pace. 

__

Naruto hid a grin as he heard the unmistakable curse word muttered beneath Sasuke’s breath. He watched the boy disappear around the corner; barely turning around to acknowledge the new arrival beside him. 

“You really are evil, aren’t you?” Sakura remarked with a sigh. “Making him run with little to eat?”

“Evil? Heh. You should have seen my training with that sadist Jiraiya,” Naruto replied with a shrug. “If anything, I’m being too easy on him. Besides, you said it yourself that his stamina sucks. He doesn’t participate in any school activity that doesn’t involve him sitting before a computer or stuck behind a book. At his age, Itachi was already faster than some immortals.”

“Itachi was unique,” Sakura countered as they leapt off the wall at the same time and began to walk after their ward. “You cannot compare the brothers. It’s unfair to Sasuke.”

“I’m not trying to,” Naruto scowled. “But it can’t be helped. As long as he’s got that last name, folks are always going to compare the two. It’s up to Sasuke to make a name for himself and stop living in big brother’s shadow.”

He paused to eye the school girl beside him; appreciating how cute she looked in her uniform, complete with the large pink scarf draped around her neck, before grinning mischievously. “Really now? Should you be seen walking to school with your _sensei_? You don’t want to get tongues wagging, do you?”

Sakura had the grace to blush, and she took a step back. “You’re right, but just remember…he’s still human. Don’t overdo it, all right?”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go easy on your _boyfriend_. Sheesh.”

Her blush deepened and she rolled her eyes. “You know it’s not like that. Besides, something tells me I won’t have a chance in Hell with him even if I were human. He’s got eyes for only one person.”

And with that enigmatic statement and matching smile, she teleported from sight, leaving Naruto with a lingering scent of her fragrance that never failed to make him warm inside. 

Speaking of warm…he wondered how his ‘dear’ student was doing, but not before taking care of two promising-looking _yōkai_ coming his way. He could always use some extra cash.

__

 

Three miles in and Sasuke was ready to call it quits. The blazer was now wrapped around his waist, the school bag he had once draped over his shoulder now a burden he wished he could toss away. Why the hell hadn’t he worn his P.E clothes and kept his uniform as backup? Now his shirt and tie was already drenched with sweat, and he wasn’t even at the half-way point yet! The honey bun had long been consumed, but he was now incredibly thirsty. 

He stared longingly at the train as it sped past; wishing so very hard, that he was seated comfortably inside with nothing but his headphones and book to keep him company. He ignored the curious looks he received from other students at nearby schools who were either walking casually or using their bicycles. Though a part of him now wished he had chosen those schools instead of going to the more prestigious one despite its distance. He had only chosen Toshiro High for its excellent academic records, and besides, they had courted him because of his middle-school achievements anyway. How was he to say ‘no’ at the opportunity to make his resume more appealing to potential colleges in the future?  
Fat load of good that was doing now. 

He could feel his unused leg muscles begin to protest, and by the five-mile mark, he had to lean against a lamp post to catch his breath. Good grief! Was he really this out of shape?

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. This generation really has gone soft,” came the low voice of suffering behind him, which caused Sasuke to pull away from his resting place so fast, he nearly fell on his ass. 

Naruto was crouched behind the bushes in a ridiculous disguise (oversized glasses with a bulbous nose and moustache), while shaking his head back and forth like an old man in mourning. Sasuke didn’t know whether to laugh or to knock that ugly thing off his face. He settled for making a loud sound of exasperation.

“You giving up?” Naruto asked almost too eagerly.

Sasuke’s mind screamed “Yes! Yes! I give up! This is too much! I’m not Itachi for God’s sake!” but there was something within those blue eyes (magnified to saucers behind the glasses) that dared him to say them out loud. And so gritting his teeth, he wiped the sweat off his brow with the sleeve of his shirt and replied tightly. 

“No.”

“Good,” Naruto replied with a small smile. “Better hurry though. You’re not going to make it at this rate.”

Sasuke spun on his heels and continued; slightly surprised to find that the weariness he had experienced just moments earlier was no longer a factor. Maybe it was Naruto’s silent dare or the fact that he had indeed stopped to catch his breath. Whatever it was, Sasuke felt a little more energized and went a little faster than he had earlier. He wasn’t immune to some of the _yōkai_ he noticed as he sped past, but he would have no time to deal with them at the moment. All he could focus on was the goal of getting to that gate before the bell rung for the start of the day. 

Unfortunately, he failed.

He arrived nearly thirty minutes late and had to kneel (on hamstrings that felt on fire!) in front of the staff office for a few minutes while he was written up for the first time in his life. He was at least allowed to change into his tracksuit for the duration of the school day, but it was embarrassing to have to look so ‘different’ and to explain to several eager sports team captains that he was definitely not campaigning to be in any of their stupid clubs. 

He fell asleep in two classes, suffered being called out for it, and by lunch time - instead of heading to his secret spot to get some nourishment - he found himself collapsing on a narrow bed in the school clinic in exhaustion. His impromptu early morning workout was finally catching up to him and badly. His leg muscles were cramping to the point that even walking here required him acting as if it was nothing more than a more limp, and yet each torturous step had felt like his muscles were being sawn into pieces with a chainsaw.

Through it all, he cursed Naruto – more to make himself feel better since he couldn’t dare to punch the blond in the face (in school at least). He couldn’t believe that his two years of a blemish-free high school record had effectively been ruined in just two days. He was in already so much trouble with authority, he couldn’t believe it. He had ignored Sakura for most of the morning, though a part of him knew he was only taking out his frustrations the wrong way. He hadn’t seen much of Sai, and as for Naruto…well the blond seemed to have pulled a vanishing act, which was fine with the teen. The way he felt right now, he was likely to do something homicidal to his _dear_ teacher.

He sighed and rolled onto his side, lashes growing heavier as he planned to nap for just a few extra minutes while waiting for Miyabi-sensei (the school doctor) to arrive. Maybe she could rub something on his legs to ease the cramps or give him some painkillers, but until then…

_/You do look adorable when sleeping/_

“That idiot,” he muttered as his cheeks flamed at the memory of Naruto’s flippant comment. He buried his face against the pillow and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the sleep to return and for his heart to stop beating faster for a whole other reason. 

To make matters worse, his overactive imagination was somehow integrating the conversation into a BL game simulation. The scene would probably be his bedroom – in anime form of course – and a character who looked remarkably like Naruto sans the ‘whiskers’ – would pop up at the bottom of the screen with a warm smile:

>>N: “S-san…are you awake?”  
Character changes to the brunette protagonist  
>>S: “…” (perhaps he is pretending to be asleep)  
Character N walks into bedroom and sits on bed, hand reaching out to caress Character S’s face.  
>>N: “Hmm…you do look adorable when you sleep, S-san”  
Character S blushes and tries to hide his face, but Character N is the dominant one and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer as he leans in to...

 _Oh God,_ Sasuke groaned, shifting restlessly on the bed as a familiar coil of heat and ache formed in his lower regions. _I really need to quit playing those damn things…_

“Enjoying your nap?” came the sudden soft question to interrupt his semi-sleepy/semi-aroused state. 

_(huh?)_

He wasn’t sure if his eyes were completely open or if he was simply dreaming the entire thing, but last time he checked he was sure Miyabi-sensei’s hair hadn’t stood out on all ends as if she had been electrocuted. He had pulled the curtains around the bed to protect him from curious eyes, yet it wasn’t difficult to make out the silhouette of a female beyond it…a female he most definitely didn’t recognize. He scowled lightly and tried to sit up. 

“Mi…Miyabi-sensei?” he called out warily. 

The curtain pulled aside slowly, and even before he noticed the glint of the needle, Sasuke knew that something definitely wasn’t right about this new visitor. He tried to swing his throbbing legs off the bed, but wasn’t surprised when they buckled beneath him. He cursed and had to hold on to the side table to steady himself.

The curtain widened and he found himself staring at the face of a woman he had never seen before. Her features were nothing exceptional, though there was an intelligence within those teal eyes that were now lit up with muted victory. Her blond hair was done up in four haphazard ponytails, which would explain why they looked so ‘weird’ earlier. She was dressed in a rather sexy nurse’s outfit, but it wasn’t hard to sense that there was no way in Hell she could have walked through the school grounds like that without getting noticed. 

“Please don’t struggle, Uchiha Sasuke,” the woman said with a small smile. “Let’s make this as painless as possible, shall we?”

She dove for him, and he moved; sending the table hurtling toward her with as much chakra as he could gather into his palms. She grunted in surprise as it collided into her midriff, sending her crashing back onto the bed. Sasuke didn’t wait to find out if she was all right or not. He forced his burning legs to move as fast as they could, his intention to find any ‘weapon’ among Miyabi-sensei’s medicine cabinets to help defeat this crazy bitch. 

_Can’t use the black flames in here,_ he thought desperately, though the prospect of straining his eyes just to achieve that was not enticing in the least. His fingers wrapped around a pair of scissors, and he spun around to face her again; just in time too for she had extricated herself from the bed and was now lunging for him again, the needle held up like a dagger. 

“Fuck!”

He barely dodged and would have assumed the needle would bury itself into the desk behind him, but the agile female seemed to twist in mid-air, and Sasuke soon found himself being flung back with a gust of wind so strong, it couldn’t have come from the outside. He collided against a chest of drawers with a low grunt of pain, falling to his knees and looking up with a wince as he noticed her whipping out what looked like a simple fan…or it should have been simple if it didn’t seem to be expanding and getting bigger by the second. 

_My eyes are playing tricks on me,_ he thought with growing panic. But whether or not they were, she was raising that huge thing above her head; needle still clenched in her left hand and prepared to swing again. Sasuke gritted his teeth, willed himself to bear through the pain (and sincerely hoped he wouldn’t cause too much damage) as he began to gather enough chakra within his palms. He had to conjure up the lightning aspect of this, but with how much he had worn himself out already…  
  
“It’s no use, Sasuke,” the woman was saying as she took a step closer. “In your weakened state, it should be easy to take you nowURGH!”

Neither Sasuke nor the girl knew what hit her as she found herself slammed hard against the wall and promptly knocked out cold. The fan and needle slipped from her fingers, and Sasuke watched as it seemed to shrink back to its regular size. However, what was even more astonishing was noticing the smoldering residue of what looked like a rotating blue ball of chakra against her abdomen. It had scorched through her clothes, leaving an ugly-looking redness on her flesh. 

“Are you okay, Sasuke?” Sakura asked as she darted to his side; completely ignoring the comatose female beside them. 

Sasuke nodded absently, for his gaze was now trained on the man still hovering by the doorway with a frown on his visage. He had never seen Naruto use his powers before, but there was no doubt that he was the one responsible for taking out his newest attacker. 

_What the hell was that?_ Sasuke thought in slight awe and envy as he tried to relax his tense muscles and contain the chakra he had been charging up. He guessed he shouldn’t have tried to, because his body literally spasmed in retaliation. If it wasn’t for Sakura holding him up, he might have begun having a seizure attack or something worse.

“Just relax,” Sakura was saying as she began to heal him. “Your body’s still not used to all of this.”

“Who is she?” he asked as he looked up at Naruto (and Sai, who had joined them).

The trio exchanged quick looks, before Naruto replied with a tightening of his lips. 

“Temari,” he replied simply. “She’s a spirit warrior as you might have noticed, but I’m kinda confused as to why she’s here trying to get you.”

“Huh?”

“What Naruto’s trying to say,” Sai explained quietly. “Is that Temari is actually supposed to be on our side. They should have no stake in claiming you.”

“Unless they’ve changed their minds,” Naruto said curtly. “I won’t put it past them to want to try to get their hands on Sasuke as well. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”

“They’re supposed to be neutral in all matters concerning spirit warrior battles,” Sakura said with a frown. “After all they all answer to Chiyo-baasama, and she’s one of our most respected appraisers.”

“Then guess we need to pay that old hag a visit,” Naruto replied with a grim smile. “Someone’s got some explaining to do.” He eyed the mess in the clinic and sighed. “Sai?”

“They’re already on their way.”

Naruto nodded and looked at the duo still on the floor. “Well? How long is it going to take you to get him all patched up?”

He ignored the glares both threw his way, especially Sakura’s. “Considering he’s still trying to get adjusted to you making him run all morning, give us a little more time. We’re not leaving anywhere until after school anyway.”

“Yeah, well keep babying him and he’ll never turn out to be a decent warrior,” Naruto huffed, now meeting Sasuke’s angry gaze head-on. “You’ve got to toughen up, kid. You can’t keep relying on Miss Healer over there to keep making you feel better. I didn’t have that option when I trained, so suck it up and grow a pair.” He turned to leave the room, but not before snapping irritably at Sai. “Let’s go.”

“Oh and before I forget,” he added when he got to the door. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you’re still under my mercy for after-school detention. Don’t be late.”

Sakura shook her head and continued to work, or would have if Sasuke didn’t reach out to still her wrist gently. 

“It’s okay,” he said quietly, with a small smile. “I think I’m fine now.”

She looked at him with widened eyes, knowing full well that he wasn’t at a hundred percent. “Sasuke…”

“He’s right,” he interrupted gently but firmly. “I can’t keep relying on you all the time, Sakura. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me, but if I hope to be as good as my brother – if not better – I have to learn how to deal with the pain and get stronger from it. Today…” He glanced at Temari’s still body. “…I should have been able to take her down, but I couldn’t. I don’t want to keep relying on you three all the time to save me like some damn damsel in distress. I have to be able to fight on my own.”

“But you’re mortal, Sasuke,” Sakura reminded him gently. “Your body can only take so much, and knowing Naruto, he’s probably not going to go any easier on you. He sometimes forgets what it’s like to be human and to experience all those aches and pains that linger long after a training session. He already had an amazing ability to heal when he was mortal, but that ability is even greater in his current form. Yes, he might hurt from a punch or a blow or a gunshot to the head, but he gets over it a few hours. You are not the same, remember that. If you know you’re at your limit, I’ll always be here for you, got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good. Now come on. We’ve got to get out of here before the cleaners arrive.”

“The cleaners?”

“Oh…didn’t I tell you about them? They’re the ones who -”

And as she helped him to his feet – glad to see he wasn’t limping as much – she explained the role of one of the most vital players in the spirit realm, and reassured him that Temari’s body would be well taken care of. Besides, the girl wasn’t dead – but she probably would wish for it once she was before Tsunade-sama for interrogation.

__

 

He thought up all possible scenarios awaiting him as he trudged toward the gym after school. What next did Naruto have in plan? More ways to humiliate him? More ways to make him feel inadequate and even more useless than ever before? Sakura’s concerns still weighed heavily on his mind, for he knew she was right. What was the point of trying to please Naruto to the point of literally killing himself? He sighed and clutched the strap of his bag tightly. If he couldn’t get Naruto to start seeing him as nothing more than a pansy to be taken care of, then what hope did he have to prove himself worthy of being his student? And besides, what was all that talk about his training being even more difficult? Who had been Naruto’s teacher, and just how grueling a lesson must he have gone through to become the hard ass he was today? 

“Good news, bad news,” were the first words out of Naruto’s mouth once he stepped into the large gymnasium. 

The blond was twirling a basketball upon a finger; Sai and Sakura perched on the benches behind him. 

“We’ve been talking,” Naruto continued. “And we’ve decided…well **I’ve** decided to postpone your punishment until we’re done with the old hag -”

“Can’t you call her by name for once?” Sakura snapped impatiently. 

Naruto ignored her. “Should be the first time for you to see what a spirit appraiser’s like and maybe finally get rid of those things in your bag.”

Sasuke’s grip tightened around the strap, but he said nothing except to nod in understanding. 

“You three get going,” Naruto ordered. “I’ll meet you there in a bit. Got some damn notes to submit to the principal. Who knew there was so much work involved with being a Physical Ed teacher for chrissakes?”

He kept grumbling as he absently let the ball fly off his finger. Sasuke watched as it seemed to arch through the air in a motion so graceful, for a moment he wondered if the ball weighed nothing more than a feather. He almost wasn’t surprised to see it fall neatly into the basket, and perhaps would have (sarcastically) praised Naruto for his skills, when he was stumped into silence at the barely audible words to filter into his ear when the blond brushed past him and left the building. 

_(what…?)_

The heat to fill him was the kind to make him want to hide beneath the safety of his blanket in embarrassment. He couldn’t believe he had heard those words - considering how Naruto had treated him for the better part of the day - so forgive the sudden rush of warmth to fill his chest at the simple words of encouragement –

_(hang in there, all right?)_

Sai and Sakura must have known, for they simply smiled softly and began to lead the way.

“Come on, Sasuke,” she invited as she reached for his hand to pull him gently. “Let’s go.”

__

 

Chiyo-baasama’s shop was a restaurant – at least it was to the normal human eye. 

At first Sasuke wondered if the spirit warriors had made a mistake when they stepped into the rather busy establishment where the delicious smells of freshly cooked tempura, tonkatsu, okonomiyaki and other tantalizing delicacies, had his poor stomach growling with the reminder that he hadn’t eaten much today. He had to control the urge to drool, wishing he could buy something to satiate the hunger. However, he was already running low on spending money for the month (and Naruto hadn’t helped the cause by emptying his fridge), so he sincerely hoped this appraiser would pay him well for the _yōkai_ he had captured so far. Besides, his other source of income had to be put on hold due to the chaos that was his life in the past two days. 

Meanwhile, Sai had caught the attention of one of the cooks behind the counter, who in turn nodded at them – though his gaze stayed a little longer on Sasuke – before disappearing through a door at the back of the bustling kitchen.  

“This way,” Sai said quietly, as he led them through a side door and down a narrow corridor lined with crates and boxes of processed food. The heavy smells of fresh vegetables, raw fish and meat assailed their nostrils, but those were soon quickly replaced with a scent that promptly reminded Sasuke of the ocean on a summer’s day. The cook was waiting for them at the end of the hallway, where he pushed open yet another door (on which some weird markings were etched upon it), and motioned for them to step in.

The ocean smell was much stronger in here, and why wouldn’t it? Sasuke’s eyes almost fell out of their sockets as he found himself literally standing on a beach. He was on an endless stretch of pristine white sand, the sea before him a stunning expanse of turquoise that almost made his eyes hurt with its beauty. The sun shimmered upon it, creating an illusion of sparkling diamonds on the calm waters. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply; allowing the sounds of the birds, the gentle breeze, and the realization that this was the paradise he had always dreamed of, to wash over him. He could remain here all day if allowed to, and as he took another step forward –

“SHIT!”

Reality came crashing down as he bumped his shin against something hard. He looked down in annoyance, blinking in confusion as he met with a low wooden table on which sat an ancient lamp (akin to the kinds seen in Arabian tales) from which tendrils of blue smoke escaped into the air. A quick sniff told him that the lamp was responsible for the scent of the ocean, and as he willed his senses to re-function effectively, he was embarrassed to find himself staring at nothing more than a simple traditional Japanese room.  

With opened shoji screen doors with a view of a beautiful garden outside, the interior décor was Spartan and tidy. Its only accessory (besides the table) was a small shrine with a photograph of a smiling couple sitting amongst fresh colorful potted plants and burning incense. Before it sat a woman in her late seventies dressed in a black robe and a brown wool hat, which covered shoulder-length gray hair. Her wizened, ashen features were marred with twin red blemishes on her forehead and left cheek, her narrowed black eyes trained squarely on Sasuke with acute interest. There was something welcoming about her, and yet there was a quiet strength that was almost awe-inspiring. She finally broke into a small smile and held out a trembling hand.

“Please sit, Uchiha Sasuke. It is a pleasure to finally see you face-to-face,” she greeted in a voice that was strong despite her age.

He obeyed her command, hardly noticing Sai and Sakura sitting on either side of him for he was mesmerized. Maybe it was the smoke from the lamp, but he simply couldn’t look away. And though commonsense begged to ask how she knew about him, he had come to realize now that in the spirit world, everyone seemed to know everyone else. 

“How you’ve grown,” she was saying. “You are becoming your own man now, aren’t you? Nothing like your older brother.”

“You knew Itachi?”

“Of course. He always managed to bring in the best _yokai_ for appraisal. He nearly made me bankrupt,” she chuckled dryly. “What a shrewd businessman he was. Now then…show me what you have to offer.”

He nodded and dug through his bag to bring out the two spirits he captured yesterday. He placed the green and purple colored rocks before her and sat back in fascinated silence. 

Almost immediately - as if reacting to her presence - the rocks began to glow from within; a dull humming sound emanating from them before they rattled violently as if afraid. Chiyo held up her hands as it to pick them, a frown of concentration on her features. Once satisfied with something, she snapped her fingers and from seemingly nowhere, a baby-faced young man with shocking red hair - dressed in similar robes - knelt beside her with a deck of what looked like tarot cards. 

Instead of picking them, she waved a hand over the cards, and Sasuke watched as one by one, they began to flip into the air until they formed a floating circle over the glowing stones. The cards looked blank to him, but they must have meant something to the old woman for as they began to emit a soothing yellow glow, she ‘hmm’d’ and ‘hmm’d’ a little more before looking up to meet his gaze.

“You found some good ones,” she said kindly. “But they are not quite as troublesome as others. How about I give you 1,000 yen for each.”

Sasuke blinked. “1,000 yen each? Are you kidding? That one alone,” he pointed at the purple rock. “Nearly took my head off. My school lunch almost costs a thousand yen! I can’t survive on only 2,000 yen!”

“Then fetch me better ones,” Chiyo countered with a huff. She motioned for the cards to return to the hands of the silent redhead. The rocks still glowed, but they weren’t as strong as before. “2,000 yen for the two or you can take ‘em back.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but at the breath-sapping jab at his ribs from Sakura’s elbow, he was forced to only nod. Like magic, the rocks disappeared and a white envelope was pushed toward him. 

“Thanks for your business, young man,” Chiyo said with a warm smile.

_(whatever, you old hag)_

Somehow Sasuke had a feeling he had just been gyped (and barely acknowledged that his innermost thought had sounded like Naruto’s usual sneer), but he accepted the money and tucked it into his bag. 

“We actually came to see you about something else rather important, Chiyo-baasama,” Sakura was saying, but before she could continue, the old woman was raising a hand to silence her.

“I am aware of what you’re about to say -”

“Then you’ll spare us the trouble of asking just what the hell you all are trying to pull,” came the familiar, yet cold voice of a certain blond. He hadn’t used the door the others had come through, and was instead perched on the railing just outside the opened _shoji_ screen doors. Gone was the green tracksuit, and in its place was the dark ensemble he had worn on the first night Sasuke met him. 

The silent redhead rose to his feet with clenched fists, and though Naruto’s gaze was trained on the old woman, his lips quirked into a smirk at the motion. He slowly lifted his right hand, which was enclosed in a leather black glove and Sasuke’s breath caught as he noticed it; the blue orb of energy gathering on his palm. Unlike his _chidori_ which seemed to be ‘scattered’ energy, Naruto’s surge of power was more controlled; a ball chuck full of a swirling chakra that could be deadly depending on how hard it was directed at its opponent. 

“It’s all right, Sasori,” Chiyo said quietly to the redhead, who reluctantly stepped back. “There will be no fighting here. I do run a business after all, and the last thing I need is unnecessary battles taking place in this neighborhood.”

She turned to Naruto; dark eyes glittering with some indescribable emotion. “I am aware of your concern, Uzumaki Naruto, and I can assure you that we are just as worried over what has taken place. You know our clan has an allegiance to the alliance, and we have been its staunchest supporters over the centuries.”

“So why did she suddenly try to attack Sasuke?” Naruto asked with a scowl. His once glowing palm was now clenched into a tight fist; his features darkening with impatience. 

Chiyo sighed and clasped her hands. “We fear that she might have been possessed.”

Sakura gasped. Sai stiffened, and Naruto’s expression remained unchanged. Chiyo continued quietly,

“She was sent on an assignment, in the mountains of Tibet, with Kankurō as her companion; their job to eliminate the influx of strange _yōkai_ attacking the monks at their temples. For weeks, we kept up with their progress, and things were going just fine, however just yesterday, we received troubling news from Kankuro. Temari has become severely ill and is now a comatose state. The monks are taking care of her, but are unsure of what could be the cause.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Sakura whispered. “If she’s still in Tibet…then who…?”

“A shape shifter probably,” Naruto grated tightly. “Someone who knew Temari was out of commission and decided to take her form.”

“Shape shifters usually revert back to their original state once defeated, but this one -”

“There is a newer and stronger breed out there,” Chiyo replied with a frown. “Shape shifters who have been created to retain the form of their possessed bodies for a while after defeat; more to confuse the spirit warriors than anything.”

“Christ,” Naruto muttered beneath his breath.

“And it is only our guess who could be responsible for releasing such highly-evolved malicious _yōkai_ now.” She looked at Sasuke, who had been listening to all this with rapt attention, though his expression gave nothing away.  “There are some ruthless clans who will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it means creating confusion in the spirit world.”

She reached out to place a warm hand upon Sasuke’s forehead, and he was immediately filled with a soothing warmth, which almost brought tears to his eyes. He was painfully reminded of his mother and the last time he had felt her arms around him. He swallowed tightly and struggled to hold onto Chiyo’s kind gaze.

“So filled with turmoil and sadness, young man,” she was saying quietly. “But you will get stronger, so do not fear. You are no longer alone, and this battle is not yours alone. You have a strong army on your side. All you have to do is believe in them and in yourself.”

She withdrew her hand and seemed to sag her shoulders as if suddenly weary. Sasori placed gentle hands upon her shoulder and whispered something into her ear, to which she nodded and pet his hand tenderly.

“It has been a long day, my dear children,” she said with a nod. “I will be traveling to Tibet to be with Temari and to perhaps heal her as best I can. If you need any more appraising, you’re welcome to deal with Mei or if you can wait for Gaara to return -”

“Where is he anyway?” Naruto asked with a raised brow. 

“Somewhere in India for a mission. He will return soon; at least once he hears about the new developments. Now if you will excuse me. I must take my leave.”

They all bowed in respect – Naruto included (shockingly) – and watched as she was led into her private quarters. 

Later, while gorging on bowls of delicious hot noodles (which were on the house much to Naruto’s delight for he was already three bowls in and counting), the quartet tried to come up with a new game plan.

“It’s becoming even more dangerous than before,” Sakura mused as she swirled her noodles in the bowl with her chopsticks. “At this rate, Sasuke can’t be left alone for one minute.”

“And we haven’t even scratched the surface of his training,” Sai added quietly. “When are you going to be able to get anything done if every other minute, we are confronted with a shape shifter or a rival clan eager to grab him?”

The duo went back and forth with their concerns, while Sasuke remained silent with his gaze lowered to the half-finished bowl of food before him. He knew all of this was for his sake. He knew how much of a burden his very presence was, and just how much chaos the spirit realm was becoming thanks to his powers. It made him wonder just how much pressure Itachi must have faced while alive. Was that the reason he had chosen to die? It would make sense, wouldn’t it? Who wanted to continue being in a world where every other person probably had some ulterior motive? That was no way to live, and his brother might have probably had enough. 

_Why bother,_ he thought miserably as he clutched the chopsticks tightly; his mind whirling with the decision he was going to take. It would make things easier for everyone if he just died and let his body disappear just like…

“Hold that thought right there, Sunshine,” Naruto suddenly said flatly; though his face was covered with the bowl as he slurped the remnants of his meal hungrily. He belched and lowered the dish with a smile of satisfaction, before tapping his chopsticks on the table in a disjointed rhythm. “You were about to say something really stupid, weren’t you? I could see it on your face.”

Sasuke’s cheeks flamed with color, and he opened his mouth to deny it, but Naruto silenced him by placing the chopsticks against his lips.

“If you think you’re going to back out of this by taking the easy way out,  you’re even dumber than I thought,” came the firm words. “Do you really think  your brother died in vain? Huh? You think he was doing you a favor by ending his life, and you think you should do the same so the spirit world goes back to holding hands and singing kumbaya?”

“If there’s one thing Sakura failed to teach you about the spirit realm, it’s that there’s no such thing as peace and love,” he continued bitterly. “Since the dawn of time, there’s always been rivalries, wars, battles, arguments and all the same shitty things you humans do; only it’s ten times worse in this realm because of the supernatural elements. So far, we’ve been able to keep the fighting within our kind, but one of these days, some idiot is going to find a way to involve the humans and then we’ve got a serious problem on our hands. But what am I saying? I’m getting way off tangent here.”

He lowered the chopsticks and reached for his bottle of beer to down the contents in one straight gulp. There was another rude belch before he sat back with a sigh. 

“The only solution to our problem, lady and gentlemen, is simple. We move his training location to the outskirts of the city.”

Sakura sat up with interest. “Where?”

Naruto was eyeing his fingernails. “The same place Jiraiya trained me.”

“But isn’t that…?”

“Far? Yes, but it’s away from civilization and the natural barrier there is enough to keep away pesky _yōkai_ for a while.” He stopped flicking his nails to study the three of them with an intensity that sent shivers down their spines. “I have only a short period of time to get him ready, and I’m going to need you two to back me up with everything you’ve got. Sasuke?”

“Yes!” the boy replied breathlessly, for the knowledge that Naruto was willing to take him to a place that must hold special meaning to him, was somewhat overwhelming.

“You might have to miss school for a while -”

“What? For how long?”

“It all depends on you, won’t it?” Naruto replied with a smirk. “Work your ass off and we’ll probably be done in no time, but if you turn out to be whiny crybaby…it might take _years_.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened; his head already shaking with the idea of spending years being tortured to death (probably). He frowned and clenched his hand into a fist. “I won’t slack off,” he declared with more bravado than he felt inside, but Naruto wasn’t about to tease him about it. He instead glanced at his watch and nodded at his teammates.

“We’ll leave in about an hour, so go back home and get yourself prepared, Sasuke. Pack what you feel is necessary, though it shouldn’t be more than one carryall bag. You’re not going on a vacation for fuck’s sake. Sai will tidy up after  you, and don’t worry about anyone wondering where you are. Sakura should be able to deal with the school authorities and your records.” He rose to his feet and stretched before snapping his fingers as if remembering something. “Ah, our rendezvous point is on the Togetsukyo Bridge, and here…”

He tossed a familiar rectangular plastic object into Sasuke’s waiting palms. “I’ll let you use it tonight since you’ll need the train to get there. I’d ask you to run, but I’m afraid you’ll die before we even begin training. See you in an hour.”

__

 

He was grateful for Sai and Sakura escorting him home, even if their attempt at conversation could not dampen the excitement coursing through his body. What a strange day it has been, but what else was to be expected when dealing with such intriguing characters barging into his life? 

They chose to wait downstairs while he packed what he felt would be necessary for the journey; the last being Itachi’s sword within its elegant scabbard which he attached to his jeans. Once satisfied that he was ready, he stood for a moment to survey the place he had called home since his brother’s death. With the computer silent, his bed neatly made and main lights turned off, there was a yawning emptiness he had never really felt before. For the past few years, his life revolved around this apartment and school, but now…

_(there’s a whole new world out there just waiting for you, Sasuke)_

He smiled wryly and let himself out of the apartment with a firm click of the door behind him. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever return to it again, or if he did come back, it would be as a completely changed man (he hoped). Either way, this was no time to stand around reminiscing. Someone was waiting out there for him.

“Sakura,” he began as he jogged down the flight of steps. “Do you know when…?”

The words died on his lips when he made the turn and nearly collided into the solitary figure standing there. His first instinct was to excuse himself, but when she turned around slowly; his breath caught at the pair of pale-colored eyes to capture his.

_(what the hell…?!)_

She outstretched her hands with a small sad smile, where a surge of blue chakra began to form…and morph into what appeared to be lions. 

_(shit! A spirit warrior!)_

“Please don’t scream too loudly, Uchiha Sasuke,” she began in a voice that was barely louder than the whisper of the wind. 

“I only wish to set you free.”

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Obsidian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you might have noticed already, I’m drawing more from the Narutoverse with the techniques, skills and so on, and certain things will appear familiar to you (especially a scene in this chapter only because I loved it so much in the manga and anime - and it's necessary for this story anyway).
> 
> And so the plot thickens…!
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

_It’s a quiet night – at least as quiet as it can be in their suburbia haven._

_The barrier his father set up doesn’t distract from the incandescent moon; for it’s so large it could take up the entire sky. If he squints hard enough, he’s sure he can see men walking across the lunar landscape, and he wonders if someday he’ll be able to be a part of history. For now, he is content to remain on earth – the subtle sounds of city life filtering through in the form of distant fire or police sirens, restless honking horns, the wayward barking dog, or the occasional brittle racket of kids playing with firecrackers for devious entertainment._

_There is a sudden low helpless sound of discomfort, and he looks down quickly; features softening as he admires his precious burden. He wraps the blanket a little more snugly around the warm, squirming form and cradles it closer to his body. He watches as the cherubic features frown for a moment before relaxing into its state of repose again. Clenched fists ease as well, and when he reaches out to touch them tenderly, his heart trembles as the impossibly tiny fingers capture and hold his in a grip that would have made their father proud._

_“You’re going to be so strong when you grow up,” he whispers as he swings his legs back and forth slowly. “I can already tell.”_

_He worries his lower lip in an effort to remember one of his mother’s lullabies, but he is soon distracted by a barely audible sound on his left, and his gentle smile widens in recognition._

_“Why are you hiding?” he asks quietly; his gaze now trained on the clump of bushes lining the wooden fence._

_There is no response, and he is not surprised. He chuckles and adjusts himself to get more comfortable. Perhaps he should have brought a pillow out here as well. Sitting on the hard wood floor of the verandah was not exactly fun after a while. He’ll probably be sporting a bruise on his ass in the morning._

_“You can come see him,” he continues in that same calm voice; as if hoping not to chase away his unseen visitor. “He won’t bite. I promise.”_

_There is a rustle amongst the leaves, before a dark shadow leaps into the air and perches on the fence before (yet further away) him. Its silhouette appears intimidating (almost frightening) for one cannot tell if the wild-looking hair and low guttural sounds it emits are human or not. However, when the cloud slips past the moon, the transformation is almost magical._

_It is anything but a ‘monster’, and one can almost regard him as an attractive young man in his late teens or early twenties. His blond hair stands on end in spikes; perhaps in an attempt to keep up with the hair fads of the day. Brilliant blue eyes seem to shimmer with distrust, yet curiosity as they appraise the duo on the porch in contemplative silence. He is dressed in black from head-to-toe, as if wary of revealing any inch of skin to others. He rocks back on his heels; giving the illusion of nearly falling over, but he still manages to maintain his balance. It’s graceful - the way he moves sometimes - although he is never aware of it._

_The boy smiles and the thing on the wall ‘tchs’ with irritation at the sight._

_“Come see him,” he invites again._

_“Don’t wanna,” the blond huffs and looks away for a moment, before grumbling beneath his breath. “What is it anyway?”_

_“It’s human.”_

_“Smart ass.”_

_The boy chuckles and holds it up a little higher as if in offering. “It’s a boy, and his name is Sasuke. He was born a few months ago.”_

_“Hm.”_

_“You missed all the excitement.” He appears to pout. “You’ve been away for so long -”_

_“I was on a mission, remember? Besides…” He reaches out to press a hand against seemingly nothing, but there is a visible vibration and low electrical hiss as if he’s been shocked. He sucks in a breath and eyes the razor thin cuts and droplets of blood on his hand (which is already healing anyway). “Hn. Looks like your father’s been working overtime trying to keep us out. Who knew there were barriers designed to keep out Immortals?”_

_The boy sighs and lowers his gaze. “It’s not like that -”_

_“Where is that hard ass anyway?” He interrupts as he peers into the darkened traditional home; an elegant tribute to a Japan long gone and quite a contrast to the modernized buildings surrounding them. Trust the Uchihas to do things their own way._

_“He went out with mother. Tonight is their anniversary.”_

_The blond raises his hand in a mock toast and bows his head. “Well send them my utmost regards. Can’t believe they’ll leave you here all by yourself though with that thing -”_

_“He’s my brother -”_

_“You’re not even old enough to be taking care of it -”_

_“I’m doing just fine,” he huffs and puffs out his chest proudly. “I gave him a bath and fed him, and now he’s asleep. I had no help.”_

_“It’s nothing to brag about.”_

_The boy chuckles and smiles warmly. “But you did the same when I was a baby.”_

_“Eh?”_

_“My mother used to say there was always this strange creature watching over me whenever I went to sleep. It was you, wasn’t it?”_

_He is glad for the brief clouding of the moon to hide his embarrassment, but he masks it quickly with a scowl as he rises to his feet. The fence is hardly wide enough for anyone to stand on and yet this man teeters delicately on it; like a ballet dancer about to perform his most intricate routine yet._

_“Don’t be mistaken, Itachi,” he announces flatly; his long trench coat flapping gently in the breeze. “I didn’t do anything for your sake. You’re not that special.”_

_It’s a cruel thing to say, but the boy takes it in stride; the same knowing smile on his visage. “I know, but I’m glad you’re always here anyway…even if you pretend like you don’t care.”_

_The blond sputters and turns red. “I told you…!”_

_“Here! Catch!”_

_“Huh? Wai…wait a minute! Don’t throw him into the air like that, goddamnit!”_

_And despite every fiber of his being telling him to flee from this scene, instincts (those damn instincts that will be the death of him!) has him leaping down from his perch to dive toward the floating bundle of human flesh. He barely makes it, but gives a sigh of relief as the baby is drawn (reluctantly) closer to his chest; arms tightening protectively around the warm form. Shockingly, the thing hardly makes a sound except to scrunch up its chubby features before settling back into sleep. Its tiny fingers claw the air slowly as if searching for something, and he is unaware that he offers himself by extending a lean digit toward it. The grip is strong, and he feels something warm form in the pit of his stomach; pride perhaps? He’s not sure. But whatever it is…_

_(not good)_

_“Damn it, you reckless bastard,” he growls and looks up to glare at the smiling boy before him. “What if I hadn’t caught it?”_

_“You would,” comes the sincere statement that causes that weird fluttering thing in his stomach again. There is an expression on the kid’s face that’s almost…well adult; a wisdom that should not be etched upon the features of a mere six-year old._

_“I knew you would,” he continues quietly yet firmly. “You’ll never let anything happen to him, would you?”_

_“Now listen here -”_

_“I trust you, Naruto,” the boy says as he walks closer and wraps his arms tightly around the man’s waist as if afraid to let go. His voice now muffled against his midriff. “I trust you so much…so please…”_

**_(take care of him for me)_ **

__

 

His lashes lifted lazily to stare at the heavens; his perch on the rooftop of the old train station a nice place of solitude while he waited for his team to arrive.

_(damn…why did I have to remember that tonight?)_

Just like back then, the moon was exceptionally large and luminous; almost swallowing up the entire sky with its presence. The greedy thing.

_(what happened after that?)_

He turned on his side and closed his eyes again. Didn’t he remain with the brat until his parents came home? And when they did, it was to engage in an angry staring match with Uchiha Fugaku (who had looked resplendent in his tuxedo by the way), while the lovely Mikoto (who he might have had a crush on at some time) tried to diffuse the growing tension between the men. Naruto could still remember how beautiful she had looked in her silver evening gown; the jewels – which must have cost a small fortune – glowing against porcelain skin. She had tried to make Fugaku see reason; convincing him that Naruto had stayed to protect the children and meant them no harm. Even Itachi had piped in for backup, but had that swayed the stubborn ol’ coot? Nope. He wanted nothing to do with tainted Immortals in his precious home and Naruto ought to kindly leave before he was forced to do something rash.

And why not? After all, wasn’t it a well-known fact that the Uchihas had the ability to really _kill_ all Immortals? 

It was probably one of the biggest reasons they were completely wiped out in the end, Naruto thought ruefully. They really were too dangerous a clan.

In fact, it should have all ended with the fire, but then –

**BEEP!**

He lifted his lashes at the impromptu interruption; hand reaching into his pocket to whip out the cell phone. 

_Sakura?_ What could she want? They were already running late as it was.

“Hello…” he began only to hear the undeniable scream of pain from a girl who rarely displayed her emotions in that way. 

“Sakura!” he cried out as he jumped to his feet; his body already thrumming with the stirrings of adrenaline as his hand clenched into a tight fist. There was the scream again and then an immediate worrisome silence before the annoying sound of the dial tone filtered into his ear. He cursed and would have leapt into the air, if he didn’t suddenly find himself being slammed back so hard he actually crashed through the roof of the station and landed painfully to earth, on his back, amidst falling debris.

_(what the fuck?!)_

Billowing clouds of dust from the destruction blinded him and he coughed as he staggered to his feet. He could sense the other presence in the building with him, but his visibility was shot. He braced himself for another possible attack; closing his eyes and allowing his other senses to take control.

_(breathe…breathe...steady…)_

“Fuck!”

The surge of chakra had him sliding across the floor and colliding into the set of benches, which promptly split apart with contact. Naruto groaned as he felt the undeniable crack of several ribs. The pain was excruciating. He tried to shuffle through his mental database of previous enemies he had fought with, and it wasn’t until he tried to lift an arm, did the full effect of the attacks finally sink in. 

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Not him!_

He could feel it now; the familiar sensation of draining chakra as each pathway in his arm went numb. He wouldn’t be able to conjure up his normal chakra thanks to this, and if he planned on using hand-to-hand combat, it was going to be next to impossible. Fortunately, the dust was beginning to clear, and standing within a protective force field was the man responsible for his current plight.

_(Hyūga Neji)_

“You…asshole,” Naruto gasped as he struggled to rise to his feet. _Shit._ The pale-eyed freak even got his legs already. They literally felt like a mass of jelly.

“Nice to see you again, Uzumaki Naruto,” Neji greeted with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“What…do…?” Damn! Even talking seemed to be sapping away his energy. He glared angrily at the long-haired man dressed in familiar white robes that always angered Naruto for some reason. Maybe it was because it gave one the illusion of being pristine and innocent when their godforsaken clan was anything but. If he had no real affection for the Uchiha clan, then the Hyūga herd would be even lower on the totem pole.

“Why…?” he tried again as he held onto the back of a twisted bench to steady himself. “…are…you…doing…this?”

“We have decided not to wait,” Neji explained patiently; his palms already outstretched to channel more of his deadly technique into them. “Our elders are impatient, and though it would have been prudent to wait until his powers are fully developed, they’ve deemed it fit to take him now before he becomes too strong. My job is to keep you occupied while Hinata-sama and her subordinates subdue him, and if my calculations are correct…it should be over soon.” He gave a small pitying smile. “Don’t worry. I do not plan to kill you. It’s just going to be a bother if we have to keep dealing with your immense chakra flow. We…”

The words died on his lips as he felt it; the low rumbling that seemed to echo the effects of an earthquake beneath his feet. And as he looked down in surprise, tiny flecks of concrete were beginning to rise in direct defiance to gravity. He cursed and looked up; just in time to see his worst fears confirmed. Hadn’t he known something like this would happen if he didn’t act quickly? And though he had trained even harder since his last defeat at the hands of this man, the data on Uzumaki Naruto could simply be labeled ‘LIMITLESS’. 

_(monster!)_

It was impossible for a being like him to exist; the very idea of what he represented was profane to the honorable roles of the spirit warriors. 

_(monster!)_

Naruto should never have been allowed to live. Everyone knew that and yet - 

“You monster,” he growled and braced himself for the final blow. He’d have to get Naruto while he was still ‘charging’ up, for the _thing_ before him now; who seemed to be cloaked in a chakra as red as blood, was enough to send a sliver of fear racing down his spine. He would buy the time Hinata-sama needed even if it meant ending his life. 

They _had_ to succeed this mission. Failure was not an option!

And with a roar of frustration and anger, Neji dashed toward the wall of fiery energy and just in time to meet with a pair of crimson eyes that now looked anything but human.

The one named Uzumaki Naruto was no longer here.

__

 

“Please don’t scream too loudly, Uchiha Sasuke. I only wish to set you free.”

She moved faster than he’d have the time to react, and yet – by some miracle he wasn’t even going to try deciphering – he was able to dodge quickly and avoid the inevitable collision course with those terrifying things being emitted from her hands.

She would end up smashing her fists into the wall; creating mini-craters likely to send the building toppling to the ground soon. He had only a moment to wonder why his neighbors weren’t running out to see what the commotion was about, but he could sense that a barrier had been erected to protect the humans from this battle.

_(hers or Sai’s?)_

And speaking of Sai…just where the fuck were he and Sakura? Could it be that this strange pale-eyed girl had taken care of them? 

She whirled around; her waist-length black hair flowing like a shield to match the one formed by her chakra. She dashed for him again, and this time he leapt backwards; aware he was going toward the apartment he had thought left behind for good. He noticed the bizarre map of bulging veins around her eyes; giving her a frightful intense expression. She did not smile, though her lower lip was caught between her teeth in concentration. Two more times she tried to attack; sending shockwaves of her chakra in his direction, and each time he managed to dodge them (just barely). 

_(is she missing on purpose?)_

He could see the beads of sweat forming on her flesh, and her breath was becoming ragged with exhaustion. Sasuke figured if they kept this up, she’d run out of stamina first, and was just about to unsheathe his sword to try penetrating her weakening chakra shield, when he felt his knees trembling hard beneath him.

_(what…? What’s going on?!)_

It was a numbing sensation in various parts of his body especially his legs and arms. He tried to conjure up chakra to his hands, but had to bite his lower lip hard to control the pin pricks of white hot pain to shoot through his body. 

“It’s…no…use,” she said breathlessly; no smile of victory on her visage. “I’ve blocked most of your chakra pathways, and you’ll be unable to use your lightning technique.”

 _So she wasn’t missing on purpose then,_ Sasuke thought wildly as she lifted her hand again to concentrate a huge flow of chakra to it. _Christ! What now?!_

“Please forgive me,” she was saying as she took a step closer. “But I’m going to direct this to your heart. It will not kill you, but your heart rate will be considerably slower. We need you alive after all.”

“Where?” he called out; his mind spinning with ways to stall in case the other two had gone away to get something and were missing all the fun. “Where’s Sakura and Sai?” 

She stopped and shrugged lightly. “My subordinates might have taken care of them by now. Did you really think we would not come up with a plan to take you away? In fact, I do believe that my cousin is fighting with Uzumaki Naruto at this very moment.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened at this nugget of information; his heart slamming hard within his chest. 

_Even Naruto? But…he’s strong, isn’t he? He won’t allow himself to be taken easily, would he?_

“My cousin is a seasoned spirit warrior,” the girl was saying as she walked closer still. “He has been in battle with Naruto before, and knows ways to defeat him. So please, let’s not make this any more difficult. Why don’t you come withURGH!”

The black flames sprang up on the sleeves of her robes, causing her chakra-laced hand to lower in a frantic attempt to put them out. 

Sasuke’s eyes burned with a pain that made the girl’s attacks seem like child’s play. He had to slap a hand over his right eye -which was taking most of the strain - but it wasn’t enough to stop the familiar sensation of the warm, red liquid to pool and soon flow down his cheek. 

_Damn it hurt!_

But he couldn’t stop now. All he could think about was Sai and Sakura being in harm’s way, and worst of all, having to deal with her cousin who might be doing a number on his _sensei_. And while she began to pull off the top layer of the robe, lest the flames get to her flesh, Sasuke saw the opening he was looking for. His chakra wasn’t yet at full blast, and his legs still felt like jelly, and though it was against his nature to do this; he prayed to God for forgiveness and realized that the situation called for it anyway.

“I’m sorry for what I’m about to do too. Nothing personal,” he said as he formed a fist and swiftly drove it into her torso, sending her flying backwards with a breathless cry, before tumbling down the steps to form a boneless heap at the corner. She didn’t move, and Sasuke hoped to goodness he hadn’t killed her. The punch wasn’t even chakra-laced!

 _Gotta get out of here,_ he thought quickly. He wiped his cheek, grimacing at the streaks of blood it left on his hand and shirt as he wiped it off. He reached for his dropped backpack and carryall bag, made sure his sword was still attached to his hip, and limped as fast as he could down the steps; past the still comatose body and toward the main compound.

“Sakura! Sai!” he began calling out, only to find himself nearly getting impaled by a dagger that lodged itself into the wall behind him. It was a close shave, but it had done some damage because his right cheek soon felt warm and wet with the cut left by the weapon. 

“I see she failed,” came the voice belonging to a tomboyish woman dressed in a traditional blue Chinese cheongsam outfit. She was twirling another of the daggers with a finger; a smug expression on her visage. She spat out in disgust. “So much for being the next head of the Hyūga clan. She can’t even deal with a weakling like you.”

Whether it was the comment about being a weakling or just simply being tired of having folks consider him as nothing more than a ‘thing’ to be captured, Sasuke was finally at his breaking point. Fear was no longer a factor in this situation, and he’d be damned if he’d stand around and let anyone else insult him. 

He scowled and unsheathed his sword to hold it before him like a shield; aware that this was only going to be a bluff because his chakra still wasn’t functioning as it should be. 

“Where is Sakura and Sai?” he asked coldly. 

“Where else?” came the amused reply, though her eyes seemed to glint with a deviousness that was not lost on the boy. She licked the blade of her dagger slowly and shivered in anticipation. “They did not put up too much of a fight. It was actually quite easy to take her dow-”

Whatever else she might have said was interrupted as the sudden loud explosion made the very ground they were standing on tremble and quake. Sasuke leapt aside just in time as a crack suddenly appeared to snake its way all the way to the girl, who would just have enough time to look down in surprise before she was sent flying into the side of the building with a bone crushing uppercut to her jaw. From the debris underground, a very filthy but incredibly furious Haruno Sakura appeared; her clenched fist still charged up (and probably throbbing) with chakra. 

“That bitch,” she  panted breathlessly. “I’m going to kill her!”

Sasuke wanted to call out to her to stop since the other girl wasn’t particularly moving, but someone or rather something beat him to the punch. He gawked in disbelief as a black painted (yes, painted) tiger appeared from nowhere to pace before Sakura. It looked as if an artist’s (and a darn fine one at that) creation had leapt off the pages and come to life, and apparently Sakura must be used to this because she only sighed out a name with a roll of her eyes before reaching out to ‘destroy’ the creature with a wave of chakra.

Sai landed between them, paint brush still in hand as he took in the situation. Like Sakura, he too looked dishelved and slightly out-of-sorts; a stark contrast to a man who usually looked impeccably neat. There was no doubt their opponents had been quite strong. 

“Are you okay, Sasuke?” he asked breathlessly; finally causing Sakura to realize that the boy was here as well. She gasped in relief and flung her arms around his neck.

“Thank God, you’re all right!”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch,” Sasuke winced, though embarrassed to be receiving such blatant display of affection. “Easy. My body’s still trying to recover from what that woman did to me.”

Sakura stepped back with widened eyes filled with concern. “Did she use it on you? Her Gentle Fists technique?”

“Is that what they call it?” Sasuke asked with a raised brow. “Whatever it was, I can’t seem to conjure up my chakra as much.”

“It blocks your chakra pathways and targets vital organs to shut them down basically,” Sakura was explaining as she took in the bloodstains on his clothing. “Where else were you injured…oh…did you burn her?” she asked with a gasp.

“No,” Sasuke replied quickly. “I was going to though, but she took off her robe and I…eh…punched her in the stomach. I didn’t mean to!” he added as if they were already admonishing him for hitting a woman. “She could have killed me.”

“You did what you had to do,” Sakura said with a small smile. “Now hold up your hand and…urgh.”

“You’re in no condition to heal him now,” Sai said gently; though there was a pensive expression on his visage. “Your fight with Tenten was rather intense.”

“I’m guessing the girl she just knocked out is Tenten?” Sasuke asked.

Sai nodded. “You could consider her a hired gun; willing to work for anyone ready to offer her enough money to keep her happy. She’s not exactly your perfect spirit warrior.”

“And you? Who did you fight with? You didn’t exactly leave unscathed either.”

In addition to looking banged up, the back of his jacket was ripped to reveal his pale skin beneath, and there was a bleeding cut right above his left eye. Sai gave a wan smile and wiped away at the wound absently.

“Yet another special hired gun that goes by the name of Rock Lee. Lucky for me he has no real supernatural gifts and I was able to escape just barely, but the point is that we were ambushed and unprepared. We have to be more diligent -”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said quickly as he suddenly recalled what the woman had said earlier. “She said that her cousin was dealing with Naruto right now. Where is he? We’ve got to help him especially if the cousin is as strong as she says he is.”

Sai and Sakura exchanged a quick look and nod. 

“We should start heading toward the -”

“ARGH!”

They all screamed in surprise as a sudden gust of green wind swept in to tear them apart. Sasuke could barely hold onto his sword, and squinting through the gust that seemed to be picking up even more speed, he managed to see the tall lean figure responsible for the mini whirlwind. 

“When you set out to kill someone, Sai-san, you must complete the job,” this person with the bowl haircut was saying in a tone as if he were simply talking to friends over a beer and not about to engage in another fight. “I will not leave here until my mission is complete, and if it means killing you, then I will do so.”

He stopped long enough to eye Sasuke from beneath the thickest pair of dark eyebrows he had ever seen. 

“Uchiha Sasuke, eh? Capturing you will definitely make my reward greater. Now just hang…on? Huh? What the…?” 

He tried to take a step forward, but was suddenly unable to do so. It appeared as if something was holding onto him, and for a second Sasuke wondered if Sai had drawn something with his magic brush to keep him prisoner. However, Sai was just as stumped as he was, and on closer inspection – and as Rock Lee continued to struggle – they noticed the elongated shadows created by the moon, which seemed to stretch all the way to the silhouette of a man on his knees and a slender woman standing behind him with her arms outstretched to form an O with her fingers. The third was a rather huge man, who was cracking his knuckles and looking quite pleased with himself, and Sasuke couldn’t be sure, but it appeared as if he was actually expanding right before his eyes.

“What are you three still doing here?” the man with the ponytail was saying; though his concentration was still trained on their frustrated captive. “We’ll take care of these guys. You should go look for Naruto ASAP. If you haven’t sensed it by now, you really are an incompetent bunch.”

Sakura might have said something to combat the insult when Sai gave a low sound of disbelief. He was looking at his palm, which now seemed to be glowing a dull shade of red before the faint black markings of the number two shimmered and appeared.

“What does that mean?” Sasuke asked, but perhaps he needn’t have, for the fear and concern etched on Sai and Sakura’s faces made his blood run cold. 

“It’s Naruto, isn’t it?” he asked in a small voice. It was becoming a little difficult to breathe for some reason. His head throbbed and he couldn’t be sure, but he literally felt a deafening roar of anguish slice right through him. 

_(he’s in pain)_

“Something’s happened…”

“No time,” Sakura barked and held on to Sasuke’s hand. “I’ll have to teleport us there.”

“Three of us at the same time?” Sai was already shaking his head. “It’s bad enough that you’re hurt, and taking us three will deplete you of chakra. I need your help when we get there, remember?”

“It’s a risk I have to take,” she hissed beneath her breath. “I won’t die, Sai, and the more time we stand here arguing about it, the worse it becomes. Look!”

And sure enough, the markings on Sai’s hand shivered again and the number three was now struggling to appear. 

“Fuck it,” Sai cursed and reached out for Sakura’s hand to clasp it tightly. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll leave them to you,” Sakura called out to Shikamaru’s team. “Thank you for your help.”

And not waiting for their response, she let out a huge burst of chakra to envelope them in a cocoon. Sasuke, who had sheathed his sword and had his luggage ready, felt the surge of energy overwhelm him. it was like being thrust head first down a waterslide at an amusement park; of feeling the rush and adrenaline coursing through you as you went faster and faster. The world spun around him in a dizzying 360 fashion, and just when he thought he would go cross-eyed or dizzy (or vomit), they landed feet first in the middle of absolute chaos.

Sakura gave a low cry of shock.

“Shit…” was the only whispered word to escape Sai’s lips as they all took in the destruction.

Had Naruto really done all this? How the hell was that possible? Just how powerful was this guy?

Sasuke dropped his bags and walked as if in a daze toward what was once the train station. The good thing was that this area was considered rural, and the train barely stopped at this particular location since it was abandoned over ten years ago. It was rather unfortunate considering  how scenic its surroundings were. With a river flowing right along the railroad tracks, and towering lush mountains and forests forming a natural cocoon, it was the perfect postcard setting for the weary traveler. 

Sadly, little of that remained for the once brick building, which had stood for almost fifty years, was now nothing more than a pile of unrecognizable rubble. Many of the trees surrounding it had been swept away as if by a tornado, and to make matters worse, there were the familiar orange and red flames gathering up steam as they licked their way through the trees hungrily.

Sasuke felt the first wave of nausea to hit him at the sight; the unwanted memories of the fire he barely survived as a child coming back with a vengeance. He struggled to breathe (the air was incredibly smoky anyway), and had to look away for a moment to compose himself. He barely noticed that Sai and Sakura were now on their knees (though Sakura looked extremely exhausted). Sai was right after all. Whatever they planned to do, it didn’t look as if she had the strength to pull it off. 

_What can I do?_ Sasuke thought frantically. Never had he felt more useless as he watched them begin to draw weird symbols and shapes on the ground with sticks or stones. Sai produced a scroll from the bag he had draped around his shoulder and unrolled it with a flourish. In slight awe, Sasuke watched as he began to write a series of characters, which looked like kanji, but made no sense to the teen either. He and Sakura finished up the preparations just in time too, for the most terrifying sound soon reached them and nearly sent them back on their heels.

_(Naruto?)_

They looked up with widened eyes, and for the first time in his life, Uchiha Sasuke felt a cold dread unlike any other ever experienced.

_That’s…that can’t be him…_

And yet the thing crouched on all fours; the thing with the sharpened fangs, the thing with the whiskers that were now much bushier and etched deeper into his flesh, the thing with eyes that looked blood-red and foxlike, the thing with long claws that scratched the ground as if eager to pounce, the thing with blood-red chakra that bubbled and sizzled with an intensity and heat that literally peeled the skin off what was once a human – this thing with three chakra ‘tails’ which seemed to be growing longer by the minute – this thing was supposed to be…

_(Naruto…just what the hell are you?)_

There was the roar again; a parting and snapping of jaws to reveal canines that could rip through flesh if given the chance. It was a sound that dripped with bloodlust, and yet Sasuke could feel it; the smaller and more intense wail of anguish almost buried beneath. The real Naruto was still in there somewhere, and it was up to Sai and Sakura to bring him back to his senses or else…

_(he will die…he is dying…this thing…whatever it is…it’s probably killing him every time he transforms)_

The circle they had drawn was beginning to glow; the scribbled kanji racing off the scroll and toward the center of the symbols as if being called by an invisible force. Sai held up his hands to perform a series of seals…or at least he would have, if Naruto didn’t suddenly leap into the air with a speed that made him appear as nothing more than a blur. 

“The barrier!” Sai screamed to Sakura, who was trying her darnest best to put it up, but she couldn’t. The more she tried, the weaker she became; her frustration evident with the angry tears flowing down her cheeks.

“I can’t! I can’t do it…!”

“I’ll take over,” came the sudden voice as a newcomer arrived to land beside her. 

“Kakashi?!” she gasped in surprise, but the man only gave her a small smile of acknowledgement before focusing his attention on the beast before them. 

“Sasuke,” he commanded as he promptly set up a much stronger barrier around Naruto. “Take care of Sakura, all right?”

“Ye…yes…” came the stuttered reply as he moved toward the girl and knelt beside her. She clung to him gratefully though her weary blood-shot eyes were trained on the two men doing their best to suppress the now infuriated beast. 

“It hurts,” she finally whispered through her tears. “It hurts to see him like this.”

Sasuke knew what she meant, and he felt his heart stir with an emotion he would have found impossible to describe. 

“He tries so hard to control it, but when he gets too emotionally charged up…it just leaks out,” she continued brokenly. “And the more it happens, the more it shortens his immortal life.” She slapped her hands over her face and sobbed into them. “He’s in so much pain. I can’t bear it.”

 _I can’t bear it either,_ Sasuke thought as he rose slowly to his feet. 

He really had no idea what to do, or _what_ he was planning to do, but his feet seemed to have another agenda of their own. He was unaware of the death grip he had on the hilt of his sheathed sword, but with each deafening roar of rage from the creature, it appeared as if the barrier Kakashi had put up would be ineffective.

“He’s getting stronger,” Sai gritted through clenched teeth. “Damn it, Yamato-sensei! Why did you have to give up your life and leave me with this burden?!”

“This isn’t the time to complain,” Kakashi snapped impatiently. “Keep it up! You’re almost there!”

But they weren’t almost there, for the beast arched in a way that wasn’t humanly possible; so much so, Sasuke could feel his own back ache at how distorted Naruto’s body appeared. The tails were becoming even longer and thicker with chakra and there was definitely no mistaking the appearance of a fourth one. The barrier was barely holding up now, and it was only a matter of time before the creature broke through it.

“The more tails it has, the stronger it becomes,” Sasuke whispered to himself; dark eyes unaware of the sudden red glow within them as he approached as beckoned by that tiny voice within.

“Where are you going?” Kakashi bellowed. “Get back here, Sasuke!”

But he wasn’t listening. All he could see was the creature straining against the barrier and the crackling sound it made each time it penetrated through it just a little more. The surge of energy was now so strong, Sasuke could feel the fine hairs on his skin stand at attention. The heat…dear gods, the _heat_ was unbearable and yet he couldn’t look away. Beads of sweat began to break out on his flesh, and in less than a minute, he could feel his back and armpits become damp with pespiration.

“Sasuke!” Sakura was screaming behind him; her voice faint and insignificant. “Don’t do it!”

 _Don’t do what? Don’t help him? Can’t you all see it?_ Sasuke wondered in disbelief. _Can’t you hear him crying out for help? Can’t you all feel it? If I don’t do something…!_

He stretched out his arm slowly. 

_(I’m not afraid)_

And yet his heart was a pounding drum; racing as fast as his pulses. 

_(I’m not afraid)_

He would likely get eaten by this thing. He wasn’t even aware he had walked right through the barrier, for nothing stood between them now.

_(I’m not afraid)_

It snarled and strained to get at him, perhaps aware of what this boy represented. And yet within the sound of fury and rage, there was that unmistakable voice – barely audible – yet filled with a desperate panic.

_(do not come any closer!)_

Sasuke took another step.

_(I’m here, Naruto. I’m not afraid, so it’s okay)_

He finally blinked hard and found himself standing ankle-deep in cold water; his surroundings definitely not on the outskirts of the city anymore. He was in an underground tunnel of some sort; the kind with steel beams and pipes that crisscrossed a ceiling so high it was impossible to know where it ended. A pungent sulfuric stench filled the air, and as he walked further into this lair (for there really was nothing else to call it), he was forced to make a right turn before coming to a complete stop.

_(what is this…?)_

Before him was a towering golden gate with a paper seal stuck upon it to keep it in place. He assumed it was to keep the gate closed for there were no chains or locks he could make out. However, it appeared that the seal was beginning to peel off a little, and whatever was behind the gates; snarling and grinning greedily in the darkness – was more than eager to be released.

“It is rare to have visitors,” came the low dark voice full of malice. Sasuke still couldn’t make out who or what was speaking, but as he clutched his sword a little tighter, he finally found his voice.

“Where is this place?”

“Take a wild guess, the last seed of the cursed clan, Uchiha Sasuke.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Does it matter? I have known your family for generations and generations. You are all the same; eyes that can be filled with such hate.”

“Where is he?” Sasuke interrupted curtly; not sure he wanted to hear anything about his family right now. “What have you done with him?”

“He is here…as he’s always been…cowering in fear…over there…”

Sasuke whirled around; hoping to see the Naruto he had come to know recently, but to his surprise…

_(a child?)_

…it was Naruto, but a Naruto that must have been only six or seven years old. The boy was dressed in a kimono that had seen better days; his small frame trembling violently as he crouched against the wall in the corner, refusing to show his face. 

_(is this a suppressed memory? Why in the form of a child?)_

“Naruto,” Sasuke called out softly. He didn’t have a clue on how to comfort a terrified child, but he would have to conjure up the skills from someplace to try to get Naruto back to his original state. “Naruto, it’s me…Sasuke.”

But the boy would not turn around; his heartbreaking sobs getting louder by the minute. His small shoulders shook and Sasuke could vaguely hear him blubbering the words “I killed them. I killed all of them. I killed them. I killed all of them.”

Sasuke felt something hard and painful twist in his chest. The anguish in that voice was unbearable.

“Naruto…” he tried again as he took a step closer. “It’s okay. Really. I’m here now.”

“There’s no use getting to him in this state,” the dark voice continued in amusement. “You can try, but you’ll never get to him when he’s like this. It’s only a matter of time…”

Sasuke ignored the heat surging behind him; for it felt as if the shadowy thing behind the gate was beginning to trickle out its ominous chakra. Instead he knelt beside the boy and reached out to touch his shoulder gently. 

“It’s all right, Naruto,” he began in a voice he was unaware of almost morphing into his brother’s. “Everything’s going to be all right. I’m here with you, so you don’t have to be afraid of him anymore. If he tries anything to hurt you, I’ll take him down. I promise.”

The dark thing made a ‘tch’ sound, and if anything the surge of dark chakra seemed to grow stronger. Sasuke could feel the water around his feet begin to bubble as if it were boiling, and to make matters worse, something inky black was beginning to pool around Naruto.

_(blood? Is he bleeding? Is he dying?!)_

“Hahaha!” the thing cackled in glee. “See? I told you it was impossible to -”

Sasuke whirled around then; his features contorted with a fury that made him look so much older than his sixteen years. He finally came face-to-face with the creature; a thing that was taking the form of a fox as tall as the gate (if not beyond). It’s orange and red fur (if you could call it that) bristled with a chakra that was powerful enough to knock one away with just a whiff, and yet Sasuke gritted his teeth and stood his ground. 

“Those eyes of yours,” the creature growled. “How I hate them so. Your brother came in once before, but just barely -”

“You talk too much,” Sasuke sneered and reached out to clutch what felt like tufts of fur that scorched his skin, but he bore through the pain and channeling the chakra he was unaware he had stored within, he formed a fist and watched as the creature dissipated into thin air with nothing more than a shadow of a mocking laughter.

“You win for now, Uchiha Sasuke,” the voice drifted endlessly. “But it’s only a matter of time…remember that…”

__

‘Outside’, Kakashi, Sai, and Sakura could only watch in disbelief at what was taking place. 

For a while it seemed as if Sasuke was simply towering over the crouched beast, with his arm outstretched as if to pet him, but when the fourth tail began to shrink slowly…and then the third…and soon the second…Sai had to look down at his palm to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating the entire thing. But sure enough, the markings on his palm were indeed reflecting the decrease in the beast’s strength. Whatever Sasuke was doing was working, and a small part of him hated to know that his trusted methods had failed while this relative newcomer had effectively achieved what he had trained so hard for.

“Now I see,” Kakashi was muttering to himself as he watched the fiery cloak of chakra around Naruto begin to disintegrate slowly. “So this was why Tsunade and Jiraiya wanted them to be together despite my doubts.”

_(despite many others doubting as well)_

Naruto’s original form had returned, but not without repercussions. His flesh was badly burned in several places, and he was barely able to remain in his crouched position as his body tottered to the side. Fortunately, someone was there to catch him before he could fall, and that someone was hardly able to stand himself. Sasuke’s knees had buckled and he slid to the ground; his arms still somehow cradling the smoldering body as if reluctant to part with something precious. 

While Sai and Kakashi released the barrier, Sakura dashed toward them; her eyes wet with tears and a gratitude that could not be expressed into words. She knelt beside them and did a quick assessment before turning to the older men with a tremulous smile.

“They’re out cold,” she called out. “But they’re still alive!”

“Good,” Kakashi declared as he rose to his feet to look at the damage. He began performing a series of seals with his gaze trained on the river. “I’ll take care of the fire before the cleaners get here, though I doubt they’ll be able to do much before the humans take notice,” he said to Sai. “You find Neji’s body – if he’s still alive that is – and bring him. I’ll take him back to SWAT with me.”

“Right.”

And as he raised a column of water – which looked eerily like dragons in form – toward the forest fires Naruto had started, Kakashi stole another glance at the two men now being treated by Sakura. He shook his head lightly and couldn’t help the wry smile to come to his features.

_(looks like your prediction has finally come true, Itachi)_

__

 

_He attends to his wounds; his teeth clamped tightly around the white gauze while pouring the contents of a stolen bottle of saline solution upon the ugly gash to his right arm. He’s lost a lot blood, but still manages to remain conscious enough to complete the task. He knows he’ll be a mess of bruises, aches and pains come morning, but he reminds himself that it’s a small price to pay for the eventual outcome. All the same, he dreads returning home in this state and meeting the worried dark eyes of his younger brother. He knows Sasuke will have a lot of questions, and the constant lying about being involved in a fight with some bullies will no longer fly if this keeps up._

_He sighs and feels his heart ache._

_(what can I do?)_

_“You barely survived this time,” comes the quiet voice from behind him._

_He nods, but doesn’t look up. “I know, but I had to. You saw him. He would have gone crazy again.”_

_“It’s not your job to suppress him, Itachi. We have spirit warriors responsible for that. You’re mortal. Do not forget.”_

_Itachi grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut. “I know that. You don’t have to keep reminding me, Kakashi.”_

_“I understand your loyalty to Naruto, but he’s not worth you dying for his sake. He’s always been a problem child. I should know. I’ve lived with him far longer than you can imagine.”_

_“…he’s…not…”_

_“What?”_

_The young man looks up with pained eyes. “He’s not,” he says a little louder. “You all treat him like he’s a monster, but he can’t help it. He didn’t wish to be born that way. I doubt anyone would.”_

_Kakashi raises a brow. “So what are you saying? Are you going to become Immortal to remain with him then? To keep running to his side whenever he loses control? Is that the kind of life you want for yourself?”_

_Itachi lowers his head and studies the gaping wound on his forearm. Naruto had done this to him…well not Naruto, but the thing inside of him. The Naruto he knows (and loves) would never hurt a hair on his head, How could he make them all see?_

_“We have the ability to suppress him,” he begins quietly. “It was something I read in the scrolls and history books. The Uchihas have always had the power to control the biju should it get out of control…but you already knew that, didn’t you?”_

_Kakashi shrugged. “Your clan has never been shy to make it known that they do not approve of Naruto. They’ve wanted to kill him for centuries, and the only reason he’s still alive is because of Jiraiya-sensei. Their disdain for all Immortals stems from him or rather what he represents, but you choose to be an exception to the rule. Your parents are gone, and in time you too will die and so will your brother. What then?”_

_“He’s…different.”_

_“Huh?”_

_Itachi gives a small smile. “My brother. He’s different. He’s not a coward like me.”_

_“What are you talking about? I’ve seen him jump ten feet high at the sound of a mouse, and besides, weren’t you the one who said you did not want him involved with us?”_

_Itachi chuckles and continues to work on his wound. “I can only protect him from the truth for so long. He’ll know eventually, and when he does he’s going to be even stronger than me. You’ll see, and you’ll come to need his strength in due time. I might not be around then, but I have no doubt Sasuke will do a much better job in keeping that cursed beast in check. I believe in him…and so should you.”_

__

 _Always have to be right, don’t you, Itachi?_ Kakashi thought ruefully as he glanced at the two prone figures now lying side-by-side. He couldn’t be sure (or perhaps didn’t want to admit this), but there was a slight twinge in his chest at the sight, and he had to look away quickly.

“Looks like you’ve finally met your match, Naruto,” he whispered to the heavens.

For whether the obstinate blond liked it or not, Uchiha Sasuke was going to become an indispensable part of his life from now on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Cerulean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincere thanks for the comments/kudos so far! *bows gratefully* It's very much appreciated.  
> Enjoy!

  


* * *

Running.

Tearing through towering stalks of dying sunflowers; every shuddering breath a painful hitch in his chest. His feet bleed with every painful step. His _yukata_ is ripped in several places; barely managing to stay upon bruised shoulders. His hair is a wet mop upon his head and face; the sweat dripping into eyes that sting and make visibility next to impossible.

But he cannot stop. He _dares_ not stop. 

He nearly stumbles and falls, but manages to right himself quickly. His _katana_ is a hindrance, but he refuses to detach it from his hip. And still he can hear them gaining upon him; their angry voices echoing all around like an oppressive wall he cannot escape.

_[Don’t let him get away! Catch that son-of-a-bitch! He must be re-captured!]_

He wants to cry; to scream to the heavens, to query God on why he must be treated like so. And yet he cannot make a sound except to expel trembling breaths of desperation and panic. He knows there is no hope for him if he is caught this time. 

He _will_ be _killed._ That is inevitable. 

He squeezes his eyes shut and staggers blindly. He smells it then; the thickening stench of smoke. They plan to raze the field to the ground. They will stop at nothing even if it means starting another meaningless fire. And despite the palpable taste of fear on his tongue, something flickers within; something darker and sinister. It is a something that finds this all tiresome and annoying. It is a something that wishes for him to stop acting like a coward and to face his attackers like a man. It’s a something that lusts for blood, to rip through flesh, and to feast upon their dying screams for mercy. 

Ah, it could be so easy to give in to this thing, and yet the painful irony is that **it** is the cause of all this. It is this damn thing inside of him that’s made his life a living hell. All of a sudden, he feels the hysteria bubbling inside of him. It couldn’t have come at a worse possible time, and yet he cannot control the almost shrieking laughter to escape his lips. 

They hear him and their anger intensifies. How dare he laugh at them? How dare he exist?!

He sniffs the air hungrily and welcomes the tangy salty smell of the sea. He hears the waves crashing angrily against the rocks, and imagines himself running…running…running…running right into its cerulean depths. The ocean will welcome him gladly and then…maybe then he’ll finally have that peace he so desperately needs…

__

 

“…traveling through many distant lands in search of the one thing he could never find…”

_(that voice)_

“…encountering many strange creatures both big and small…”

_(…his voice…why?)_

“…all he ever wanted was to be loved…”

_(stop…please stop…)_

“…but as long as he refused to give up what was within, he was forever loathed by those who feared him and chose not to understand…the end.”

There was the gentle slam of a book, a deep inhalation of breath and the subsequent slow exhalation that was accompanied by the familiar sweet-smelling tobacco he knew he would never forget for as long as he lived. 

_(unless I’m dead…I hope I am)_

“Unfortunately, you’re still stuck with us in the land of the living, so do me a favor and stop pretending you’re sleeping, you little troublemaker. You think it’s fun sitting on my ass watching you snooze off for three days in a row?”

_(huh? Three days?! Christ)_

Naruto cursed inwardly and stirred; finally forcing his lashes open to acknowledge the smiling man sitting on a wooden chair beside him. 

For a heart-stopping moment, Naruto was sure he was back in Edo; back in that stuffy apartment where this same man had leaned over him with an expression of such kindness, it brought tears to his eyes. However, unlike back then when he teetered dangerously between the land of the living and the afterlife, Naruto felt relatively more alive than he had been in days (apparently). He looked down at himself and gave an inward sigh of relief. Besides being swaddled with bandages around his torso, he was glad to see he wasn’t lying on a futon on a cold hard floor. The wooden bed, with its soft bedding, was one he was familiar with, and as he struggled to sit up, he also managed to take in his surroundings with a pang of nostalgia.

_(still as beautiful as I remember it)_

It would be strange to consider the room as being a part of a living tree, but to anyone looking at it for the first time, it definitely would appear that way. Walls of thick oak formed a protective cocoon; giving one the illusion that you were snug within the tree itself. Weaving its way around the walls were rich, sweet-smelling vines accentuated with dots of blossoming cerulean flowers still glistening with dew. The floor was an amalgamation of sprawling sturdy roots and polished wood, while carved oval windows filtered in soothing rays of sunshine and the pleasant sounds of Nature beyond. 

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to listen; unaware of the small (almost beautiful) smile on his visage. He could hear the birds chirping happily outside his window, and even without lifting his lashes, he was sure one or two had come hopping onto the sill in an effort to greet him. There was the rustle of leaves and branches that came with the Northern breeze, and the unmistakable (though faint from here) rushing sounds of waterfalls and springs likely to refresh the weary warrior. 

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” came the gentle question that forced him to open his eyes again.

He focused his attention on the older man, whose white hair seemed even shaggier than he remembered it. And yet Jiraiya-sensei did not look a day older than the first time they met. Not that it should have been surprising. The old man still favored his precious short kimonos and pants that always revealed his ankles and wooden sandals, though he had tossed aside his _haori_ to look considerably less casual than usual. He sucked on his pipe again, dark eyes still watching the blond carefully.

“Did you enjoy my story?” he suddenly asked, causing Naruto to raise his brows in bemusement.

“What story?”

Jiraiya held up the book he had been reading from. “This beauty. It’s still in editing stage, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. What did you think?”

“I was sleeping,” Naruto remarked with a roll of his eyes. “I couldn’t hear anything.”

Jiraiya’s face fell. “But you were smiling at some parts.”

“Yeah right.  You wish I was smiling. Haven’t you tortured me enough with your readings? You always made me listen to them whether I wanted to or not.”

“It’s not as if you had anything better to do,” Jiraiya mumbled beneath his breath. “Besides, I needed a second opinion. Kakashi always loved whatever I read -”

“Then go bug him,” Naruto interrupted curtly. Sure Kakashi had always enjoyed Jiraiya’s brand of writing material. The old geezer had a penchant for erotica that was slightly disturbing. Naruto couldn’t count the number of times he had listened to both men – heads bent together like co-conspirators – as they discussed the intricate details of the Kama Sutra and how it applied to the characters in the books. The amazing thing? His damn books were best sellers and no one really knew he was the man behind them. 

With a heavy sigh, while absently rubbing his torso (the bandages itched like hell), he decided to inspect the rest of his body to see how much damage it had taken this time around. He lifted the blanket and examined his lower half. Luckily, someone had been kind enough to at least leave him in a pair of shorts, but other than that, his legs seemed fine. He flexed his arms; no pain there. He reached up for his head and was glad to see there was nothing to write home about either. 

“You were burned rather badly,” Jiraiya stated quietly. His expression was now pensive as he crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest. “Both Fukasaku and Shima-sama worked really hard to get you healed.” He paused before adding slowly. “They believe your generation abilities might be slowing down a little; that or you really pissed off Kurama this time.”

Naruto ‘tch’d’ and slumped back against the pillows; his lips forming a thin line of irritation. 

_(Kurama…you asshole)_

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Jiraiya asked. 

Naruto’s jaw worked for a second before reluctantly answering. “That Hyūga bastard.” He rubbed his temple as if the memory was wavering before continuing quickly. “He spewed some shit about how they had to get Sasuke and they needed me out of the way, but it was…”

_(I heard his thoughts…could see the fear and hate he had for me…he called me a monster, and that triggered it, I think)_

But he didn’t say this aloud. There was no way Jiraiya (or anyone else for that matter) could understand just how _painful_ it was to be considered as something other than human. He had assumed he would have gotten used to it after two centuries, but _damn_ , it angered him to know that the effect was still the same. That no matter how many battles he faced, or how many times he had barely clung to life, just _sensing_ that another human considered him a beast or something to be afraid of, hurt him more than he cared to admit.  

In retaliation, he (and Kurama) would always feel the need to lash out as well; to show those people just how much of a monster they could be. If that was what they wished to see, then who were they to deny them the pleasure of dying at the hands of such evil? 

“Is he dead?” Naruto finally asked wearily. 

“No,” Jiraiya replied, and if he noticed the brief look of relief on Naruto’s features, he gave no indication of it. “However, he’ll be requiring a lot of medical attention. He’s currently at SWAT awaiting his hearing, but as you can imagine, the Hyūga leaders are not too pleased and are currently all up in arms wanting him – and Hinata – to be released.”

“Hinata, huh?” Naruto’s lips curved into a cynical smile. “Can’t believe she would allow herself to get involved with all of this. Last time I checked, she was too scared of her own shadow.”

“You’d be surprised at her growth. She almost did a number on Sasuke…who you haven’t bothered asking about yet.”

Naruto flushed at the expression on the older man’s face and looked away with a scowl. “I was getting to that,” he finally grumbled.

He tugged at a frayed piece of thread on the blanket, somehow struggling to form the simple phrase “How is he?” to escape his lips. He was sure there was something very important (and probably embarrassing) that he was forgetting when it came to the kid, but right now…

“Ah…” He took a deep breath, and looking at somewhere other than the, no doubt, amused dark eyes before him, he tried again. “So…eh…”

“He’s fine, you insufferable dolt,” Jiraiya finally responded after several moments of Naruto battling within himself. “He was out for a day, but he’s up and about now getting a tour of the place with Shima-sama. As you can well imagine, he’s quite surprised and delightfully intrigued by all of this. Unlike a certain blond who only bitched and moaned when we came here the first time-”

“That’s because you just summoned me without warning,” Naruto huffed; his features red with not just embarrassment. “How the hell was I to know you’d bring me here for training?”

“And yet you wanted to bring him here for training too, so I guess I must have done something right.”

Naruto ran fingers through his hair in frustration. “For your information, the only reason I chose this place is because of its seclusion, and the fact that no other pesky spirit warrior or troubling _yōkai_ can bother us. In case you’ve not been paying attention, the past twenty-four hours with him had more headaches than I’d care to deal with. Damn, this is all a pain in the ass…”

“Even after he single-handedly saved your life?” came the quiet retort that sent a jolt of something hot right down to the pit of Naruto’s stomach. 

_/“It’s all right, Naruto.”/_

That…hadn’t been a dream then?

_/“Everything’s going to be all right. I’m here with you, so you don’t have to be afraid of him anymore. If he tries anything to hurt you, I’ll take him down. I promise.”/_

He covered his eyes with a trembling hand; his humiliation knowing no bounds as he reluctantly recalled something he had only assumed was just another of his many nightmares. In fact, he was sure he had assumed it was Itachi, for hadn’t the older Uchiha said the same words to him several times in the past? And while he had nearly taken out Itachi while in his biju state, somehow Sasuke had escaped without a scratch.

_(shit)_

“It’s all right to thank him when you see him, though knowing you; you’ll probably not have the decency to do so.”

Naruto burned at the insinuation and lowered his hand to pout at his mentor. “My gratitude will come in the form of teaching him to become the best spirit warrior out there. That’s all, and besides, I don’t need you interfering.”

Jiraiya raised his hands and grinned, while rising to his feet. “I wasn’t planning to anyway. I only came here because I was concerned about my precious little student.”

“Fuc -”

Even before he was finished, Naruto could feel the familiar slithering sensation upon his tongue and down his throat. He clutched his neck and tried to prevent it from going any further, but it was no use; the spell was already working, and unlike Kakashi’s that he could dispel quickly; Jiraiya’s was a little more difficult to deal with.

“So while you sit there glowering at me,” Jiraiya continued with a smile. “I’ll give you a little update. Sai and Sakura – as I’m sure you’re also concerned for them – got some treatment here, but have returned to SWAT. You won’t be needing their help since Shima-sama and Fukasaku-sama are strong enough to assist with Sasuke’s training. Secondly, you should have no fear of going insane here, should you get carried away with your training and Kurama decides he’s tired of taking a nap or something. Thirdly, and most importantly, remember he’s a mortal and does not have your abilities to regenerate injuries as quickly as possible. When I brought you here, you were already in your Immortal state…and add that to your _biju_ abilities, it was easy to train you in the harshest way possible. Your main goal is to get him to display all his skills – and you should already be aware of most of them thanks to your relationship with Itachi – and to hone them…refine them…make them work in a way that will not create unnecessary destruction.” He stopped and sighed. “Almost ironic that we’d want you to do such a thing when there’s still really no way to control your transformation except to have him by your side. It was one of the reasons you were disappointed when Itachi declined to become Immortal, wasn’t it?”

Naruto’s eyes widened at the direct hit. It was a sore topic he didn’t really want to think or talk about, and his scowl (which quickly masked the hurt), was enough to get Jiraiya to change the topic. 

“Either way, you’ve got Sasuke now, so don’t fuck it up this time. Though he seems more eager to work with you…” He smiled at the raised brow. “Yes, we had a very illuminating discussion earlier. He wanted to know so much more about you. You fascinate him.”

He laughed at the rush of color to fill the blond’s face, knowing full well if Naruto could speak, he’d probably be cursed out to death by now. And still he sat on the bed, ignoring the initial jerk of rejection as Naruto pulled away a little. He felt a dull ache in his heart at the slight expression of fear and caution within those impossibly blue eyes, and Jiraiya was again reminded of the wounded creature he had rescued so many, many, many years ago. 

_(the pain never really goes away, does it, Naruto?)_

He placed a gentle hand behind the man’s head to pull him closer until their foreheads touched, and at the shuddering breath released by the blond, Jiraiya’s heart broke a little more for him. How he had tried, so very hard, to make Naruto happy while they were together. He had cherished those few times when the young man would laugh in such carefree manner, when his cheekiness and wit would either drive him nuts or make him shake his head with amusement. Naruto was like a son to him, and if given the chance, he knew he would give up his life just to see him finally be at peace with himself.

_(do we both regret the choice we made to make you immortal? Is it my fault for being so selfish? Have you never forgiven me for what I did to you?)_

“Take care of yourself,” he whispered thickly, before pulling back a little to place a hard and lingering kiss on the cool forehead. “I’ll check up on your progress with your new student, and you know you can come to me should you need any help.”

Naruto, whose eyes were closed, for he was sure looking into those warm eyes would have him regressing back to a child again (and bawling like one too), simply nodded in understanding. However, just as Jiraiya placed yet another tender kiss on his forehead, both men barely heard the soft click of the door opening, though the breathless gasp and hurried “Sorry! I didn’t know…excuse me…!” as someone all but bolted out of the room again, had them finally pulling apart.

Naruto would have cursed out loud if he could, but settled for expelling a breath of exasperation. Jiraiya chuckled and pet his head gently. “You should explain the situation to your dear student before he gets the wrong idea. I’m not sure he’ll appreciate the idea of me taking his place…if you know what I mean.”

He cackled at the raised middle finger and prepared to leave the room while saying his farewells. However, it wasn’t until he was outside, did Naruto’s frantic gestures finally sink in. He had forgotten to remove the spell.

“Ah well, it will wear it out in a couple of hours anyway,” he said with a shrug as he noticed Sasuke making his way back toward Naruto’s tree room. He smiled and shook his head lightly. “Besides, should give the kid a chance to talk and Naruto to finally listen for once. Good luck to you both.”

__

 

Sasuke had woken up to paradise, for there really was no other way to describe this place. 

In fact, he was almost sure this wasn’t Japan for how else was one to comprehend the oddities that made up this landscape? Amidst towering mountains and jagged cliffs, there were plants and fauna likely to be seen when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Petals and leaves – as wide as cars - could be in the shapes of spiral cones with colors so rich and vibrant they were nearly blinding. Waterfalls seemed to be everywhere you looked, some flowing into sparkling springs and brooks leading to miniature lakes with waters that glittered beneath the sun. The creatures, he had seen so far, seemed to have no fear of his presence, neither did they appear threatening. It wasn’t unusual to have a bird or two perch on your head or shoulder, while cheeky monkeys danced around for your attention or lazy large cats (he had seen a tiger and panther), only eyed you as the newcomer before looking away in boredom. 

However, what was most telling (and impressive) was the Sacred Oil Fountain, which was believed to allow one to become even more sensitive to Nature and to  harness the natural energy around them. Like its waterfall counterparts, this oil fountain gushed its thick, golden liquid rushing into a cavern on which a towering frog statue sat as if on guard. It smelled intoxicatingly sweet, and Sasuke had almost been tempted to taste it – though Shima-sama had slapped his wrist to prevent him from doing so. 

Speaking of which, his kind and extremely short hostess, had been a wonderful godsend so far. From the moment he lifted his lashes and found himself staring into large eyes filled with warmth and concern, Sasuke had come to rely on her and her husband to teach him as much as they could. They had healed all his wounds and except for the faint scar on his cheek (thanks to Tenten’s dagger), he felt as good as new. 

He still refused to believe they were actually frogs though, for their pale green skin and puckered, leathery features screamed otherwise, but once he caught sight of their webbed hands and feet, he had to reluctantly come to terms that there were really some strange beings in this world. Hell, hadn’t he been fighting weird _yōkai_ all this time anyway? So what was so wrong about talking and walking with frogs dressed in robes?

He was also shown the summoning portal – _Enshinsui_ – which looked like an ordinary shallow stone well with waters that could have come from the heavens itself. According to Shima-sama, this well was a way to summon a select few spirit warriors from the human realm to this place – Mount Myōboku. It was how he and the rest of the spirit warriors (Sai, Naruto, and Sakura) had been brought here. 

“Sometimes it takes years to find this place if you are not summoned,” Fukasaku had told him; his white beard bobbing up and down as he spoke, while tapping the ground impatiently with his walking stick. “And that stubborn brat, Jiraiya, actually did.”

Sasuke could not believe his good fortune when the man of myth himself asked to see him personally. Not knowing what to expect, he was sure Jiraiya would prove to be as ornery and bad-tempered as Naruto tended to be. However, once in the presence of the smiling, jovial (and perverted bastard since his first question to Sasuke had been if he liked reading ‘ero-ero’ books), the teen found himself warming up to Jiraiya quickly. He had burned with so many questions – mostly all related to his mysterious new teacher – but Jiraiya was shrewd enough to escape most of them, choosing instead of talk about Mount Myōboku, its significance, Sasuke’s health and other mundane subjects.

It wasn’t until after a barely digestible breakfast of what appeared to be worms floating in a bowl of miso soup, did Sasuke finally have enough. He _needed_ to see Naruto for himself. He had been patient enough, understanding that the older man had been through a terrifying ordeal, and needed to heal properly. Still, his curiosity was now at fever pitch. He still couldn’t forget all he had experienced during the battle at the train station, of how he had somehow penetrated Naruto’s subconscious to find that dark thing lurking within. 

What a terrible burden Naruto had to live with each and every day. Was it any wonder he acted so boorishly at times? 

_All I want to do is talk,_ he thought as he made his way toward Naruto’s residence. _I want to know more about this thing within you. I want to know how you came about it, and why it’s so difficult to get rid of. I want to help you in any way I can, so please…try to open up to me a little…_

And perhaps he would have started off that way as he slowly opened the door (after a moment or two to compose himself), but he definitely wasn’t expecting to barge into an intimate moment between former teacher and student. Feeling an intense rush of embarrassment (and a less obvious, but still there, bubble of envy), Sasuke had excused himself and darted down the wooden flight of steps to ‘hide’ behind another large tree until he was sure Jiraiya was gone.

He slowly sank to his haunches and buried his heated face against his raised knees; unable to get rid of the burning image of Jiraiya’s lips against Naruto’s forehead in a kiss that was anything but a simple brush of lips against skin. It was clear that those two had a relationship and bond that was unbreakable, and why not? After all they have known each other for over two centuries. All things considered, he was an insignificant aspect of their lives – something new and too different to be a part of their world. 

_(and what about Naruto’s face?)_

Sasuke’s stomach gave a nervous flip as he recalled the expression, that he wished – oh, so wished – that he would someday receive. There was serenity on those usually frowning or disinterested features; a look that almost made him look like a child – a beautiful, wild child who only needed someone to show him some kind of affection. 

He caught his lower lip between his teeth and sucked on it absently. He knew it was nothing more than a pipe dream. Naruto would never feel that comfortable with him, and if he was hoping for some kind of kiss on his forehead in the near future…forget it.

He looked up as he heard the heavy footsteps; turning his head a little to notice that Jiraiya was finally leaving. He debated on whether or not to go into Naruto’s room now, for he was sure his jealousy would still be etched on his face like a neon sign. 

“Ah fuck it,” he muttered as he rose to his feet and made his decision. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

And yet as he approached the door again, Sasuke could feel his palms getting a little sweaty. His heart was a jackhammer in his chest, and he felt a little lightheaded. Wondering if he should just call it quits and simply wait for Naruto to come bother him, the sudden image - of that crying young boy – to fill his mind, had him gritting his teeth and knocking on the door with determination.

Besides, if this was an option in a BL game, he knew whatever awaited him from here on out would determine the final outcome. He could have a good ending, or he could be wallowing in a pool of blood in the most pathetic bad ending ever. Might as well take the risk. 

He knocked again when there was no answer, though there was rustling inside as if someone was trying to get out of bed. 

“Naruto?” he finally called out tentatively and opened the door slowly. Patience wasn’t quite a virtue for him yet. “Are you…oops! Sor-sorry!”

His cheeks flamed as he tried to look at any place but at the man who was only clad in a pair of boxer shorts, though in the process of slipping into a pair of pants. He floundered for words, but they remained stubbornly lodged in his throat as he got redder (and hotter) by the second. 

“I should go,” he finally managed to squeak out, but Naruto was waving for him to get into the room with a frown of irritation (or agitation?) on his features. He turned away from Sasuke to continue dressing, allowing the teen to get a good view of slightly broad shoulders, where underlying muscles rippled and moved in a motion that begged to be touched. However, it was what was beneath the layers of bandages that struck him hard, for though Naruto had the ability to heal most of his wounds  (if not all), there was still no mistaking the faint scars etched upon his back. 

_(flogged)_

Those were the scars formed from being whipped or beaten severely…hundreds…no…countless times. Sasuke’s heart clenched tightly at the sight, unsure of why he was sure he could literally feel Naruto experiencing the torture. He lowered his gaze just as a shirt was thrown over the scars and bandages preventing him from seeing anything else, but it was no good. Sasuke was _dying_ now to know more, and he seriously doubted he’d be getting anything from the older man. 

“Sorry,” he finally whispered as he scoffed at the floor with a sneaker-clad foot. He had chosen to dress in his regular clothes since the _yukata_ Shima-sama had provided itched quite a bit. “I wouldn’t have entered if you were getting dressed.”

Naruto didn’t answer, and when he looked up to see if his teacher was still upset, it was to see the blond reaching for a small rectangular chalkboard (at least it looked like it) and a jagged piece of white chalk, from a desk – which was hardly noticeable since it blended so well with the wall – to scribble quickly on it. 

_(what is he doing?)_

Naruto spun around to hold up the board, on which he had written in uneven letters.

“CANOT SPEAK. SPELL CAST ON ME.”

 _You misspelled ‘cannot’,_ Sasuke thought wildly, as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Naruto was erasing his previous words and was writing again. This time the board said,

“THAT PERV DID IT. WILL WEAR OUT SOON I HOPE. OR I’LL KILL HIM.”

More erasing and writing, and this time Sasuke was struggling not to laugh at how absurd this all seemed. He was biting hard on his inner cheek as the words blared at him again.

“YOU THINK ITS FUNY?!”

Sasuke shook his head and tried to look serious. “No…you spelled funny wrong too.”

This time the message was simple and quite clear. 

“FUCK YOU.”

And, this time, Sasuke didn’t bother trying to hold back his laughter. He did manage to duck from the incoming chalkboard aimed at his head, and felt his heart stir at the obvious blush on Naruto’s cheeks despite his scowl. 

_A good ending?_ He smiled and reached out to pick the thrown object. He was scoring major points in this BL game so far. Though, every good gamer out there knew, there was still a long way to go.

__

 

This was ridiculous.

How the fuck did Jiraiya expect him to teach when he couldn’t even speak? Even imploring Shima and Fukasaku had yielded no results. Either those two cunning sages were lying about not knowing the antidote to the spell or they were in cohorts with Jiraiya to keep him silent for goodness knew how long. 

Two hours into his ordeal, and Naruto was ready to stab something. 

Unfortunately, the closest thing available to vent out his frustration was the dark-haired teen walking beside him. Sasuke had finally shut up after spending quite some time gushing and praising every little thing that they came across. He couldn’t get enough of Mount Myōboku, and was amazed that such a place even existed, and how many times had Naruto come here before, and how long did he spend training, and could he really eat those things Shima-sama cooked? And so on and so forth. Naruto had at first tried replying to some of the shorter questions with monosyllabic written answers, but he eventually gave up. He didn’t have the energy to deal with all that especially knowing his spelling skills weren’t up to par with Mr. College Bound here. 

_(just as much of a smart-ass as your brother, aren’t you?)_

He sighed heavily and walked a little faster, unaware of the pained look he received from his silent companion. It wasn’t until they made the turn toward their final destination, did the quiet words finally float to him.

“I annoy you, don’t I?”

_(huh?)_

He blinked at the lowered head in bemusement. What was he going on about now? 

Sasuke took a deep breath and lifted his gaze. They were at the foot of a temple, with weathered, vine-tangled steps that seemed to go up to the heavens. Hell, it was almost impossible to see where it ended for a low thick cloud of fog prevented them from doing so. Still it wasn’t difficult to assume that the steps led to a sacred place, and as Naruto began to scribble something, Sasuke stopped him again with his words.

“It’s all right if you find me irritating, but you’re just going to have to get used to it. I have no plans to change who I am just because you don’t like me.”

Naruto stiffened for he was sure he had heard those words somewhere before. 

_(it’s you, isn’t it? You said those same words to…)_

He looked at the boy’s profile and shuddered – not so much in repulsion (and not for the first time) – but at just how much Sasuke reminded him of someone he would rather forget. Unlike Itachi and Fugaku, whose features were more distinct  and their ‘own’, Sasuke seemed to be channeling the spirit of the one man who had helped in making his life a living hell all those years ago. In fact, Naruto was sure if Sasuke turned around and curved his lips into a smirk, it would be like looking at that sadistic bastard all over again. All he had to do was grow out his hair and have a few heavy bags under his eyes and they’d be all set.

_(damn his cursed fate with the Uchiha clan)_

He gritted his teeth and looked away…stared at what he had written before erasing it to try again.

“STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF. I’M NOT GOING TO BE YOUR BABYSITTER.”

Sasuke’s lips tightened, but he said nothing. He waited until Naruto had written something else.

“I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TALK NOW, BUT IT DOESN’T STOP ME FROM KICKING YOUR ASS EITHER.”

“But you…!”

A finger was pressed against his lips, and though Naruto was more than tempted to cast his own spell – though it was probably going to wear out by the time he released the boy’s lips – he shook his head firmly with a frown. 

“Don’t say another word,” he mouthed slowly, so the boy could read his lips. “And listen…eh…read.”

This time, Naruto decided to use the ground as his canvas. He fell to his knees and began to write and write and write until he had a little essay going – misspellings and all. When he was done, Sasuke had to stand back to read it. 

“This is where you’ll begin your training,” he wrote. “There are over four hundred steps leading to the temple of _ōjiji-sama_ – our Ōgama Sennin. Once there, you are to receive a prophecy from him – who knows what the old bastard is going to say? However, make sure you scream your presence to him or he’ll just sleep on you. He’s senile like that. You will also get to see Gamakichi and Gamatatsu. They will help purify you…sort of truly initiate you into the word of spirit warriors. Don’t freak out. It will be over quickly. You are then going to come back down here, and for the next week, keep up with the trip back and forth while you build up your stamina and strength especially in your legs. One of the key things to being a good fighter is speed. If you cannot run or leap away in time – basic skills for any warrior – you are toast.”

When Naruto was sure Sasuke was done, he reached into the pocket of his pants to bring out a small brown cloth bag wrapped with a golden thread. He tossed it toward the boy who barely caught it. He was motioned to open the bag, which he did tentatively. Inside were several round brown pebbles, each one no bigger than a pill. 

Naruto was writing again.

“Energy pills,” he explained. “Sakura left them for you, and you’re going to need them, but do not waste it. You use it only when absolutely necessary. It’s the equivalent of a full meal, so if you run out quickly, you’re on your own. The frogs up at the temple can be pretty stingy, so you’re unlikely to get anything from them if you aren’t too careful.”

He paused in his writing. He could feel something ‘loose’ in his throat; the familiar sensation of the spell finally dissipating. His tongue felt wetter and he licked his lips in relief. 

_(finally!)_

Sasuke, who had been busy studying the pills, finally looked up with a frown of confusion. “Why do you make it sound like I’m going to be stuck here all week? Don’t I get to go back to my room?”

Naruto was just about to begin writing again, when he remembered he could speak now.

“No,” he said aloud; his voice sounding harsh and foreign to him. It must have startled Sasuke as well for he almost took a step back with eyes widened. Naruto coughed and tried again. 

“No, you’re not going back to your room for a long while. This…” He waved his hands about. “Is the first stage of your training. So you’ll make either the temple above or the trees around you below to be your resting points day or night. It will all depend on how well you navigate your way around the steps.” 

He stopped to look upwards, recalling how aghast he had been when Jiraiya brought him here the first time. He had definitely bitched and moaned about it, but this kid was simply taking it in stride –

_/I annoy you, don’t I?/_

He bit his lower lip and sighed softly.

_(at least be a little nicer to him…after all he saved your damn hide, didn’t he?)_

From his periphery, he noticed Sasuke was already slipping out of the shirt he was wearing to reveal the t-shirt beneath. The boy tied the shirt around his waist, tucked the bag of pebbles into his pocket and began some stretching exercises; his features etched into a frown of concentration. Naruto wasn’t sure if to laugh at how serious the kid was, or to control the twinge of admiration within his chest at the sight. 

Either way…

“It’s almost noon,” he said aloud. “So you should probably be there in a couple of hours give or take. Remember all I told you, and you should be fine.”

“Okay.”

The boy continued stretching; hardly looking at his teacher. Naruto shuffled his feet restlessly. He wasn’t sure of what else to say, and from Sasuke’s expression, he was almost sure the boy was definitely not expecting him to say anything decent either. 

_(maybe he’s losing all respect for me)_

“I’m heading off,” Sasuke announced eventually with a deep breath after working himself into a light sweat. He finally turned to face Naruto; his features still wary and drawn. “I guess I’ll see you in a week?”

Naruto shrugged and nodded. “Yeah…uh…”

Sasuke waited solemnly.

Naruto felt a familiar surge of heat, which made him curse beneath his breath. 

He settled for reaching for the chalkboard and scribbling hastily on it, before holding it up to his face, so Sasuke couldn’t see it as he read the simple words:

“THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK”

Hardly waiting to see the boy’s reaction, he spun on his heels and walked away; though he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle with awareness. For how long he was watched, he had no idea, and it wasn’t until he finally heard the distinct steps of someone running, did he finally turn around to peer through the trees. 

The boy was no longer in sight, and Naruto couldn’t verify this, but he was definitely sure that this damn forest seemed just a little bit lonelier than ever before.

__

 

 _He’s such an idiot,_ he thought as his quads screamed.

 _Why can’t he just say it out loud,_ he mused as hamstrings trembled with every punishing step. 

_Why does he always have to make things so difficult? God, he’s such a … an idiot!_

So why – despite every muscle in his body throbbing with pain – was he still unable to stop the flutters of pleasure still felt in his stomach? It really was becoming embarrassing to allow every single word of encouragement from that man to affect him so much, and yet here it was again. It was a damn good thing Naruto hadn’t stuck around to see his face after he read those words, or he would have had a lot of explaining to do. 

_/Thank you and good luck/_

He knew what the ‘thank you’ was for. It was that unspoken thing that had hung between them like an invisible third wheel all morning, and Sasuke had been too shy to bring up the conversation despite his eagerness earlier to bother Naruto about it. Maybe it was having to deal with the spell that was a hindrance as well. It was one thing to have Naruto write out his history, but another to actually hear it from his lips. 

_(and what fine lips they are)_

Sasuke gasped at the sudden errant thought and nearly found himself kissing aged stone as he tripped over a step. However, quick reflexes kicked in and he steadied himself, though the very act of stopping caused a severe cramp up his right leg. He hissed and gritted his teeth, stretching out the leg in question and hoping it would stop soon. Drops of sweat dripped from his damp locks now stuck to his head and cheeks. He had to lift a hand to wipe away the growing accumulation on his forehead, but it was no use. With the sun now at its zenith, he had long taken off the t-shirt, which he was considering wrapping around his head to protect it. His pale flesh – not used to being out in the sun like this for so long – was already beginning to redden in some places. He resisted the urge to scratch at the itch, fearful he might start bleeding if he wasn’t careful. Not that he wasn’t likely to bleed from some part of his body anyway. His feet felt heavy and swollen inside his sneakers, and he was sure he’d develop some blisters soon. He was more than tempted to begin running barefoot, but the sight of jagged pieces of rock, some bugs and God knows what else was crawling around here, was enough to dissuade him from that decision. He winced and looked up with longing. How far had he come? He had tried to keep count of the steps, but had lost track all thanks to Naruto’s words still swimming inside his head.

Either way, he was sure he was at the halfway point. Though the fog blocked most of his vision, the air up here was much fresher (and thinner hence his breathing a little difficult), and despite the heat, there was a cool waft of breeze that was soothing to his aching body. He dug into the seat of his pants for the bag of energy pills and took one, only to nearly vomit as the revolting taste settled on his tongue and teeth as he chewed. 

_What the fuck is this? It tastes like…something rotten!_

And though every part of him wanted to heave in repulsion, he forced himself to swallow and to let its effects work.  It was almost immediate.

_(whoa)_

It was the equivalent of suddenly being given a gallon of ice water and the best meal he had ever tasted – all in one. He could almost picture his insides – once shriveled and dying from the steep, uphill climb – now being renewed and shocked back to life. He felt he could run a thousand more steps, and even the cramp in his leg was beginning to fade away.

 _You really are something, Haruno Sakura,_ he thought with admiration. She would make one fine doctor if she was invested in the human realm. _And I’m missing her already._

He shook his head at his foolish thought – now aware of just how much of a sister role she had become in his life in such a short time – and rose to his feet to stretch his arms above his head. He took a deep lungful of air and let it out in a whoosh, before continuing his journey; his steps much quicker now. 

It would soon hit him that Naruto must have done this as well; that these very steps he was running up had – centuries ago – been the training grounds for the man (hopefully) waiting for him below. Sasuke tried to picture how Naruto must have looked then. He wouldn’t have had access to the pills since Sakura wasn’t in existence yet, so how had he managed? Was he exhausted too early? Had he even managed to complete the steps in one day? What prophecy awaited him from the Ōgama Sennin. Come to think of it…just what prophecy awaited _him_ when he got up there? Was he even sure he wanted to hear about his future? 

So engrossed was he in his thoughts and concerns about what was to come, he failed to notice he had reached the final step. His body now so attuned to the automatic motions of raising one leg before another, he did it one more time and fell flat on his face with a bone jarring thud, which effectively negated all the good feelings from Sakura’s pills.

_(the fuck!)_

“He’s even clumsier than I expected,” came the amused comment, which had Sasuke lifting his head quickly. 

Standing (or sitting, he couldn’t tell with these creatures) was a dark orange frog about as big as a house. This one looked younger – compared to Shima and Fukasaku - and he was dressed in a short blue-kimono that was belted around his waist. Around his neck was a large pearl necklace with a glowing blue orb, which seemed to show the kanji for oil – though Sasuke couldn’t be sure. Leaping – from seemingly nowhere - to stand beside him was an even bigger but lighter colored frog, who was dressed in similar fashion. Both had large _katana_ attached to their hips, and they stared at him with bulbous eyes filled with curiosity and yet amusement.

“So this is he?” the newcomer asked in a rather high-pitched voice. “He don’t look anything special.”

“He’s from the lineage of the Uchiha,” the first frog replied. “Can’t you tell?”

“You’d think he’d train at that other place, not here.”

“That’s because Naruto don’t know the other place. Only the Uchihas know the place.”

“So why ain’t he there. He’s Uchiha, ain’t he?”

“Now listen here, Gamatatsu, I ain’t saying this again. This kid here don’t know nothing about that place. If he did, he woulda told Naruto, won’t he? Look at him. I bet he can’t even fight right.”

“He don’t look too strong. Lemme see.”

And before Sasuke could get a word in, he was unceremoniously picked up by his pants – as if he were nothing more than a twig – by Gamatatsu and held up to the face that looked monstrous from his vantage point. 

“Too weak,” Gamatatsu decided with a ‘pfft’ sound which sent a putrid stench in Sasuke’s direction. They smelled like wet cloth and saltwater, and the sensation of Gamatatsu's slippery webbed fingers was more than he could bear. Sasuke scowled and asked as politely as he could manage. 

“Please put me down. I’m about to throw up.”

“What he say, Gamakichi?” Gamatatsu asked with a raised brow at his brother.

“Put the kid down,” the older said with a sigh. “ _Ojiji-sama_ has been waiting for him.”

Gamatatsu, who looked as if he wished he could gnaw on Sasuke as a snack, pouted and did as told. He let Sasuke back to earth gently, and both watched as the young man steadied himself as best he could.

“You don’t look half-dead yet,” Gamakichi praised reluctantly. “The last man who came up them steps, we had to carry him inside.”

“Naruto, I’m guessing?” Sasuke asked, and both frogs looked at each other before shrugging and leading the way without giving him a response. And though Sasuke would have loved to pester them with questions, he was too awed at his new surroundings, he couldn’t speak. 

It was a temple all right, but a temple probably built for the gods. Never had he seen any place so…massive, but it would all make sense considering how humongous the frogs were up here compared to Shima and Fukasaku below. Let’s not even talk about the view from up here either. Sasuke’s breath caught as they walked across the courtyard, for it seemed as if he could see the entire country from here. The view was  otherworldly; an experience even the greatest of writers would find difficult to put into words. The setting sun burned just a little brighter here, and yet he didn’t feel as if it would scorch him. If he stretched out his hand, he was almost sure he could touch it for it really felt that close.

_(imagine how the moon would look then)_

The trees, plants and flowers that blossomed here seemed to thrive on nourishment not favored to the ones below. Never had he seen such vibrant colors in his life…such richness. He froze at the sight of a particular flower; whose cerulean petals seemed to pucker and open as if kissing the air in gratitude. He reached out to trace them, sucking in a breath as he was damn sure the flower leaned into him as if appreciating the gesture. The odd thing about this flower? It was the only one of his kind…at least up here, for he had noticed quite a few of them in Naruto’s bedroom.

“That flower,” he asked as he jogged to catch up to the frogs. “What does it mean? How come there’s only one here and so many others in Naruto’s room?”

“Because it’s his flower, that’s what,” Gamatatsu replied. “It only blossoms when he comes back. When he ain’t here, they close up and die. That’s all there is to it.”

_Naruto’s…flower?_

He glanced behind him at the plant, which was again puckering up tenderly to the heavens in silent homage. There was something quite beautiful about it, and Sasuke’s heart trembled at what it could possibly mean. 

However, all thoughts of the flower and its owner was erased from his mind as he was lead up another flight of steps and into the cool confines of a room that knocked the wind out of his sails. It wasn’t so much the giant scrolls that lined the walls or the intimidating statues of other (probably) great toad sages from long ago, but the living monolith – who could have been statue himself with how still it was – sitting in a pool of shallow water with the word ‘Sage’ written upon it. He was easily the biggest frog he had ever seen in his life, and his brown weathered skin and squinted eyes spoke of his age. Or was he simply ageless? On his head sat a black professor’s hat with tassels, and around his neck was a similar pearl necklace to the one Gamakichi was wearing. Only his didn’t glow any particular color at this time. His mouth seemed to be frozen in a perpetual smile; an overall serene expression on its features as if trapped in some place no one could ever reach him. 

“Ojiji-sama!” Gamakichi suddenly bellowed in a voice so loud, Sasuke had to slap his hands over his ears lest he go deaf. “The Uchiha kid is here!”

For a moment, the relic did not move except to keep breathing, and just when the trio assumed he was going to completely ignore them, those slits for eyes opened just a little bit wider…but not by much.

“The Uchiha kid is here,” Gamakichi repeated himself. “What do you want us to do with him?”

It was a slow (almost tedious) process, but the Ogama Sennin lifted his left index finger to point toward Sasuke. 

“Come…closer…” he invited in a voice that was as loud as it was wise and ancient. 

Sasuke took a step forward, finally aware of the slight tremble in his knees. He wasn’t afraid in as much as in awe of who he was standing before, and when he stopped, the finger motioned for him to come closer still. 

“You are curious,” the sage rasped kindly. “Your curiosity to know everything…the truth behind certain things…”

It held up his hand when Sasuke was barely inches away from the pool of oil. 

“You wish to know more,” the sage stated.

“Yes,” Sasuke replied; his voice sounded distant and disembodied; as if he were not the one actually speaking. “I want to know the truth. I want to know about him.”

“You might not like what you see, young one,” the sage replied. “What you might see…might determine your prophecy.”

“I don’t care,” Sasuke replied defiantly. “I’m tired of the secrets from everyone. I need to know why he’s the way he is! You can tell me, can’t you?”

“Why not ask him yourself?”

“Because he won’t tell me the truth or he’ll keep things away from me. If I could…if I could…”

He formed tight fists and squeezed his eyes shut; the sudden overwhelming rush of emotions nearly making him weak with its intensity. “If I could go back in time and see it all…I would.”

“Would you now?” the sage replied; his eyes widening even more and this time with some expression that was not lost on his subjects though Sasuke missed it. “If I could grant you that wish…what good would it do?”

“I want to understand him better,” Sasuke replied without hesitating.

“But is it wise to pry into another’s life without his permission?”

“…I know...I know it’s wrong, but I feel it’s the only way I can reach him. How can I help him without _knowing_ him?” 

Sasuke looked up with an expression that was enough to have the sage even more intrigued. Was it the earnest determination or stubborn resolve in the youngling’s face? He did not know, but what he did know was that this child of the cursed clan was unwilling to yield. 

“So be it,” he finally replied with an even wider smile. “Your wish will be granted. However, know that where you are going, you cannot be seen or heard. You are only going to observe and whatever you glean from your experience will determine your fate. Choose wisely when the time comes.”

Sasuke felt his heart leap as the enormity of what he was about to do - of _what_ he was risking to do - finally sunk in. He wondered if it was too late to change his mind, but as he watched that webbed finger approach him, Sasuke realized that he had _always_ wanted this from the moment he met Naruto. He had always _wanted_ to be a part of this man’s life in some way, and if it meant intruding into the most personal details of his past, then so be it.

 _I’ll suffer your wrath later, Naruto, so please forgive me for what I’m about to do,_ Sasuke thought as he felt the heavy drop of oil pressed against his forehead and the immediate wave of weariness to wash over him. 

He was suddenly falling fast, and though a part of him was sure he’d hit his head against the stones below and die, nothing of the sort happened. Instead, it appeared as if the world was rushing right past him at an alarming rate. He could vaguely see objects (modern people, homes, cars dissolving into simpler patterns, clothing, shacks, more forests), hear the sounds (from the cacophony of trains, planes and automobiles to the soothing _clip-clop_ of horses on dirt roads), even the smells seemed to change from the stench of modernized pollution to the less toxic air of an era long forgotten -

_(I’m falling back in time…literally)_

He would have laughed at how clichéd it was, but just as suddenly as it started, it ended rather abruptly with his breath catching hard in his throat as if sucker-punched in the gut. 

He blinked hard and looked around him slowly.

_(where…am I?)_

He was lying on something hard and rather uncomfortable, and as he lifted himself unto his elbows, he noticed it was nothing more than a straw mat upon a dusty floor. On closer inspection, he was in a tiny rundown shack, which had only enough room for his straw mat and the small wrought iron pot hanging above dying embers. Sasuke reached for the pot, for his stomach suddenly growled with hunger, but there was nothing inside but a tiny bit of watery thin soup, which he lapped up anyway. 

It wasn’t until he was licking his fingers, did he notice that he was no longer dressed in his modern day attire of jeans and shirt. He was in a drab, gray yukata which was torn in several places, while his underwear was nothing more than a cloth folded to make a rough tong that was quite uncomfortable (and embarrassing). On his cold feet were a pair of worn straw slippers, which didn’t do much considering he could still feel gravel and sand on his soles anyway. There was an old _katana_ lying next to him, and just as he was about to investigate the weapon a little more, he stiffened at the sound of low voices outside the shack. Sasuke rose to his feet unsteadily; his heart thumping hard in his chest.

He crept toward the door of the shack and looked out – through a splintered piece of wood - with a wary eye. 

There were two men whispering to themselves, each with funny straw hats he had seen in history books with cloth bags draped over their shoulders. They would look toward the shack and then huddle together in serous conversation, and Sasuke now had no doubt they were making plans to take him down.

_(but what the fuck did I do?)_

Panic filling his insides – for reasons unbeknownst to him for hadn’t the toad sage said no one could see or hear him? – he dove for his _katana_ , attached it to his hip (more like tightening the sash around his waist to hold it in place) and began to sneak out through the back door before the two men could notice he was gone. It wasn’t until he was deep into the forest and sure he was out of sight, did he finally relax tense muscles.

“Phew. Close one. Might as well wash up a little,” he said aloud, only his voice didn’t sound like its usual tone. It was a lot older, more ‘bouncy’, and the language somewhat archaic and ‘stiff’. 

_(wait a minute…)_

Still he continued to saunter toward a river, whistling happily beneath his breath, and soon began to peel out of his clothes – tong undergarments included – with absolutely no shame, considering it was broad daylight and anyone was likely to see him naked. 

_(wait…wait a minute here…what’s going on…)_

He’d have only a second to notice the reflection in the water before he dove into the cool depths to cleanse his grime-caked skin. However, it was more than enough to have the teenager frozen in stupefied silence at the enormity of the situation.

_(I…I don’t fucking believe it)_

He had gotten his wish in more ways than he could have possibly imagined, for that shimmering reflection belonged to a certain blond young man, whose expression wasn’t quite as hardened and cynical as it would eventually become two hundred years from now. 

It was a shocking thing to comprehend, but a reality he knew he’d have to accept whether he liked it or not.

He was now Uzumaki Naruto, and the year was 1813. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 **Notes:** Do I smell a possible Madara/Naruto pairing coming up? Methinks so! Hah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Sienna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Here we go again. Once I get into a story, I tend to write my fingers off. I was hoping to get Naruto’s story done in one chapter, but it would be an injustice to his character, so this is just the first part that lays the foundation for his future. 
> 
> Warnings? Lots of Madara in this (because I love that sadistic asshole) and his shenanigans with Naruto. I tried not to make the ‘scenes’ too graphic (saving those for later), but don’t read with the kiddies in the room anyway.  
> Enjoy! And as always, your feedback/comments are very much appreciated. 
> 
> **P.P.S:** And because I know some readers tend to skim/skip through scenes because their favorite characters don’t show up, I’ll advice you not to. Some things are revealed in here that will sorta make sense for what’s happening in the future.
> 
> * * *

_(I don’t want to see this)_

To close one’s eyes mentally – can such a thing be done?

Unfortunately, he realizes all too quickly that it is an impossible task. His ‘curse’ is to _see_ it _all_ ; to look through the eyes of the man - he now considers a mentor - at a world he once knew. He is to _feel_ and _experience_ it all no matter how dangerous it might become. His ‘curse’ is to live (trapped!) within the body of this man, and his inner effort to ‘look away’ from what he already witnesses is a futile struggle that mercilessly torments him. 

_(oh God…)_

He can only stare helplessly as his (Naruto’s) hands run down a toned physique that he would never have imagined seeing in the present world. His skin is a delicious hue of light caramel; evidence of the sun’s favor upon him. And if the only visible hint of paleness comes from the lines formed by the uncomfortable undergarment, it is clear that Naruto has no problem displaying himself in the nude when he deems fit. 

Still this body is not without its imperfections; for there are faint bruises on his knuckles (a fist fight perhaps?) and his fingernails look uneven as if he had been biting them to the quick. Familiar strong hands scoop up more water from the river to splash upon his skin, a barely audible wince escaping his lips as fingertips trace over the fading (yet ugly) purple contusion on his left ribcage. Despite this, other minute sensations creep in; the expected hardening of pink-hued nipples each time it comes in contact with the cool liquid, the low coil of pleasure to form in the pit of his stomach every time he moves his legs and the river responds with gentle wet licks against his oh-so-sensitive nether region. 

He hums a tuneless song and allows his hand to slide beneath the surface, and when he begins the perfectly normal routine of washing his private parts, Sasuke feels himself die a little more inside. There’s nothing ‘odd’ about this. There should be nothing ‘wrong’ about this, for he does it himself when he takes a bath or shower at home. It’s perfectly normal for all males to wash themselves, and yet he burns at the familiar, yet unfamiliar, sensation of fondling (a bit longer than necessary in his humble opinion) twin sacs until he’s sure they’re clean enough. His pleasurable nightmare continues with the inevitable; the realization that those fingers are about to slide up and down the swollen cock in motions that has Naruto biting back an involuntary groan. 

_(oh dear God…please stop…don’t do this now)_

But his vision fades with Naruto’s lashes fluttering shut and the fingers getting a little bolder…more definitive…its objective clear at this point. Moistened lips part to expel short breaths of air, every now and then a low gasp is released to match each masterful stroke. He knows what’s bound to get him off (it is his body after all), and when the slick finger of his left hand slowly finds its way to that hidden, tiny puckered opening behind, all bets are off as a shot of pleasure so potent, nearly sends his (their) knees buckling. His gasp becomes a low moan as he pushes in as far as he can go. His right hand jerks unevenly around his cock, and yet he dares himself to go even further. He withdraws and this time returns with two; wondering just how far he can go (his personal best was at three) and how long he can make it last. He bites hard on his lower lip. He doesn’t want to come just yet. He wants to prolong this moment; to sear this gradual swell of ecstasy that seems to be wrenched from every pore in his quivering body, within his mind. For he knows it’s a rare opportunity to really enjoy it without the pressure of pleasing another. 

“Aah…ah…fuck…”

His voice sounds like a sob; a plea for he’s at his breaking point. His body is taut; that beautiful physique arched like a golden carving from the gods. His right hand is a blur; eyes squeezed shut; firm muscles squeezing against wet flesh. His toes curl. His heart thunders and roars with a tremendous rush of blood to the head.  

_(fuck!)_

He explodes with a final gasped cry to the heavens; his entire body a shuddering mass of satiation, which has him almost drowning as he splashes back to earth. His fingers are sticky with his seed, but they wash away just as quickly; though he doesn’t fail to notice the thick white evidence mingling with the clearer fluid. He sighs in content and feels he can remain floating like this forever, for the sky had never looked so blue, the air has never smelled so fresh, the world has never looked so –

“Beautiful as always.”

Lashes, which have been growing heavier with weariness, fly open at the sound of the amused deep voice. He splashes up to tread water again; his heart a thudding drum in his chest for a whole other reason. A trembling hand reaches up to wipe his face as he finally notices the shadowed figure sitting on the bank and right upon his discarded clothes. Just as sudden as his shock, he is unable to stop the cold lump of fear to drop in the pit of his stomach; though he is angry that it is a fear laced with a helpless desire he’s struggled so long to eliminate to no avail.

And can anyone really blame him for his feelings? After all, knowing you were desired by one of the most prominent figures in the land is something to brag about. Naruto just wished it wasn’t this particular bastard. 

_(even after all these years)_

He curses the day he laid eyes on Uchiha Madara.

And for Sasuke - who is still struggling to come to grips with such an intense spiritual, and intimate experience - gasps in disbelief as the name filters through Naruto’s thoughts to his. 

Uchiha…Madara? An ancestor of his?

_Impossible!_  


* * *

And yet there he was in the flesh from God knows where. 

He sat crossed legged upon Naruto’s clothes, with an elbow resting upon his thigh to cradle his chin as he watched on with an expression that was a cross between lust and dark amusement. His features held that familiar ‘look’ that was exclusive to the Uchiha – a clan notoriously known for its exceptionally attractive people. Though there were slight bags of fatigue beneath his eyes, they still didn’t deter from the dangerous beauty each orb was capable of displaying especially when they had the tendency to change hues to a warm red whenever he became excited. They held a wicked intelligence Naruto had been firsthand privy to, but it was that massive mane of thick, black hair which fell to his waist – that was (just one of) his weakness. He couldn’t help the flood of color to fill his cheeks as he recalled the last time he had run his fingers through them and…

_(what the hell am I thinking about now?!)_

He growled and took a step back as if afraid of getting any closer or where his thoughts were leading him. 

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked through clenched teeth. “I thought you were now stationed in Nagoya?”

“I missed you too much,” came the quick reply that didn’t help Naruto’s disposition. 

He idly wondered if it was possible to blush oneself to death. God, he hated this guy.

_(and yet…)_

“Don’t I get a welcome hug, my love?” came the husky complaint. “I mean after that sinful display -”

“Just how long have you been there watching, you goddamn sick pervert?”

Madara chuckled and shrugged broad shoulders; allowing the sleeve of the well-made navy kimono to slide off his right shoulder. It revealed the wad of bandages around his upper arm, and as the sleeve fell even lower still, more bandages were seen around his torso. Naruto frowned at the sight, but said nothing. He was getting chilly; the earlier high from pleasuring himself now fading quickly, although it would have taken wild horses for to admit that the idea of Madara watching him all this time was actually…

“Really now, my dearest,” the older man cajoled with a mock pout. “Surely you aren’t going to ignore me? I’ve done quite well controlling myself, and I need you to take care of the little problem you’ve created.”

To emphasize his point, he finally unfolded his legs to spread them apart a little, allowing Naruto to see the obvious bulge which had formed between them. 

The blond gritted his teeth and formed clenched fists at his sides. He would do his best to ignore the sudden heat to fill him. He would ignore how his heart suddenly seemed to be beating to its own wild rhythm. He would tell himself that he hadn’t missed the asshole; that for the past few months while he had wandered around like a lost sheep, some nights had been spent pining for him –

_(despite everything)_

“I’m not doing it,” he said aloud.

“Oooh?” Madara raised his brows as if shocked and tapped his magnificent _katana_ lying beside him absently. Naruto was quick to notice that his sword was also now in the other man’s possession as if protecting them, but he knew better. If he didn’t do as Madara asked…

“Let me go,” he demanded, though it came out as anything but. He knew he was going to lose this fight anyway, and he hated the way it made him sound. Desperate and needy.

“I’ve traveled a long way,” Madara stated quietly. His dark eyes glinted with a hint of impatience now. “And what’s the first thing I hear when I return? You’ve been getting yourself in all sorts of trouble. Isn’t it enough that I keep saving your sorry ass each and every time? Even Izuna is at his limits.”

Naruto’s jaw worked, but he kept stubbornly silent. Madara sighed and held up Naruto’s sword as if in offering.

“Remember who saved you from the gallows five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto, and who has saved you from death so many times since then.”

Naruto’s lips curled into a sneer. “Just because you kiss the shogun’s ass doesn’t mean you have to keep using that over me all the time. I know damn well just how many times you’ve saved me, and each time you make me pay by using my goddamn body whenever and however you want. Aren’t you sick of it already?”

“I can never get sick of you and your body. You know that,” came the response, so unexpectedly tender, Naruto was helpless to stop the flush to his features. He struggled to maintain his fury and displeasure at this unholy relationship they had, and yet –

_(I still want…)_

“You still fascinate me, Naruto,” Madara was saying, and to Naruto’s dismay, was now rising to his feet to wade into the river with deliberate steps; the _katana_ and eventually the kimono being discarded to reveal the hardened body beneath. 

Naruto moaned in misery.

_(please…don’t come any closer…I beg you…)_

“From the moment I saw you,” Madara continued huskily; dark eyes holding pained blue ones prisoner, unrelenting, almost suffocating with its intensity. “I knew you were something special.”

“You…you keep saying that,” Naruto whispered hoarsely. 

It really did feel as if this man was hypnotizing him; that if he kept staring into those beautiful dark eyes all his secrets would be exposed, and that no matter how many times he tried to run away…to escape this fate…it was going to be impossible. Madara had him tangled in his web of sin and decadence, and even as he felt those strong (yet somewhat cold) fingers wrap around his neck, Naruto couldn’t find the willpower to pull away.

“I’ve missed you, my dearest,” Madara moaned against his lips (a hint of a kiss) and into his ear; his warm breath sending shivers of helpless desire down his spine. And when the sensitive lobe was caught between his teeth, Naruto was unable to control his breathless cry of resignation.

He dug his finger nails into the scarred back and finally gave himself into temptation.

Such would be his damned fate when it came to the men of the Uchiha clan.

* * *

A month later, he was ‘free’ to do as he pleased; only because Madara had been called out of town again, and Naruto was no longer kept ‘prisoner’ in his opulent home. 

He was almost ashamed to step outside with all the mementos Madara had been so nice enough to leave behind on his body. Though he felt he ought to be glad the sadistic bastard was considerate to leave them in places that weren’t so visible (well except for his wrists which were still raw from straining against the ropes he had been bound with). Madara had insisted on leaving near painful kiss marks upon his inner thighs, but the worst would have to be the bites underneath his arms and upon his neck. He still didn’t and couldn’t understand why Madara hadn’t gotten over his strange fetish of sucking his blood - a routine that started two years ago - and despite Naruto asking over and over why he felt it necessary to go that far, he got no real response for his pestering. Madara would either feign sleep or skip the subject all together.

He absently rubbed his neck, which was hidden from public view with a black wool scarf, and bit his lower lip in thought.

_(strange indeed)_

At least he had cleaner clothes and looked much more decent than he was before his demanding lover/master returned, and with the extra cash tucked in his kimono, Naruto felt he could at least enjoy himself for a while. Hell, if he was lucky, Madara’s trip would keep him away for the rest of the year. 

Still, he hated to admit that a part of him did miss being in the older man’s presence, for despite his overbearing, arrogant, and temperamental exterior, Madara could actually reveal a tender side when you least expected it. It was in the way he was sometimes simply content to caress Naruto’s hair and face while he read through the many scrolls of important government documents in the warm confines of his (their) bedroom, or offer to wash the blond’s back while they took a bath, or cuddle with Naruto after another passionate session as if afraid to let him go. 

That was the side of Madara he loved – the one whose smile could make his heart flutter a million times over, and who could call out his name in a way that made him want to submit to his every whim. It was that Madara he loved still, though it had been hard to feel that way when he was first ‘kidnapped’ at the age of sixteen. 

Well perhaps kidnapped was too strong a word. More like sworn into a verbal contract he was never going to wheedle his way out of. 

Five years ago, he had joined a band of miscreants; a ruthless gang of _ronin_ hell bent on robbing anything and everything belonging to the elite _samurai_ of the Shogunate. Their aim was to attack the homes of most of the high-ranking government officials, and being an impressionable kid, Naruto had bought into their cries for arms against the greedy hounds willing to steal from the poor to fatten their coffers. He should know considering he was nothing more than a church rat himself. 

_(and let’s not forget the other things…)_

Those were the things he would rather not remember, and still they’d plague him as he wandered around the countryside with the _ronin_ ; praying that this _thing_ inside of him wouldn’t break free especially when he was provoked. He tried to keep to himself and to do as he was told, and when he was mocked for not being too good with the sword, he devoted himself to practicing long into the wee hours of the morning until his palms bled with the effort. He knew he still wasn’t an expert with the _katana_ , but he was determined to do his share to help his band of brothers, and what better way than to show his other non-threatening skills? He knew he was incredibly fast, and could outrun even the fittest of the men older than him. His small frame was useful for getting into tight spaces, and he was usually used as bait to distract guards on duty while the _ronin_ did their job. 

For a few months, they were successful with their raids and his initial feelings of queasiness at the unnecessary murders that took place soon became a routine that was second nature. He tried to justify seeing the decapitations and stabbings as poetic justice for they all truly deserved it. However, it still bothered him a little to witness the senseless raping of the women (and some men) as if to add insult to injury. Whenever those happened, he would creep away to hide until it was all over. 

Every good raid came with exuberant celebration; sometimes nights spent drinking _sake_ until he passed out, or being taken to the red light district, where he would eventually lose his virginity to a rather doll-like (and emotionless) whore. It would also be the first time he garnered the interest of other men, due to his slender frame and rather striking features. Here in the city, he was considered exotic, and many a time had he noticed several lecherous samurai ogle at him shamelessly with the desire to possess him. It was his ‘whiskers’ which earned him the nickname _‘chiisa na kitsune’_ among his gang mates. He secretly loathed it, but dared not tell it to their faces. 

He would suffer the teasing for it really was nothing compared to the life he had lived before meeting them. How could he explain to them the pain and fear to fill him whenever he noticed the icy stares of hate and loathing for his unique features? That he had come from a place where warmth (from anyone and anything) had been impossible to achieve, where no one seemed willing to acknowledge his existence, and when they did, it was to hiss, back away, or flee in terror. 

_/Get away from us, you spawn of the Devil!/_  
 _/You have brought nothing but bad luck to this town!/_

Chased away when he dared to walk the streets; with sticks and stones and kicks and shoves. While other children laughed and adults scorned. When he couldn’t understand why he was being treated so badly, and would dare to tug on the hem of the _daimyo’s_ clothes, begging for food…some form of compassion. Forgiveness for whatever sin he had committed. He was only a child. He did not comprehend, but the reaction was still the same. A loathing so potent, it warped the samurai’s features; a _katana_ raised- its blade glinting beneath the mid-morning sun. It was poised for his neck. It would take him out if he remained there. He would die like a dog on these streets, and so he fled with an anguished cry. Never to be ‘seen’ again.

For years he remained hidden in the mountains, choosing to live amongst the trees and beasts, for they were at least more lenient with him and could tolerate his presence without judgment. His only venture to civilization was to steal food or clothing to sustain his life; though he wished for death so many times especially during the coldest of winters. 

Hence, he considered it fate when this band of merry criminals trashed through his hideout, that hot summer day, and its leader took to him immediately. 

“Looks like we’ve found ourselves a new member, men,” he had bellowed with a warm smile. “Come with us, young fox, and we will give you a much better life than this.”

For the first time in his life, he knew what it meant to be in a ‘family’. There was camaraderie among these guys that he had never experienced before, and knowing that despite everything, they would stand by him and protect him; filled him with such happiness, it was impossible to put into words. The icing on the cake was knowing that the leader did actually consider him as a baby brother, and went above and beyond his call of duty to protect his dear _‘chii-chan’_. Naruto, in turn, would come to love and cherish Hiromi-san so much, that it was a devastating blow to him when he was eventually captured and beheaded by the Shogun’s police in a public execution.  

They had been betrayed by someone within the gang, and though Naruto was inconsolable for days at the loss of the one true person he had loved, what happened next was even worse.

The gang was in complete disarray. 

The next-in-command deserted them without warning, causing the others to try to escape the clutches of the determined police force, ironically led by the Uchiha clan. Naruto could still remember trying to flee with the aid of the darkness; hiding within empty shacks during the day and choosing to travel by night. However, after almost two weeks with little food or water, Naruto was eventually captured at the outskirts of the city. 

_/Filthy brat! Don’t know how you still have the energy to kick and scream when you’re nothing but stick and bones!/_

Even now, he still shudders at the memory of being stripped down to his undergarments; his legs and hands bound with thick ropes that dug into his skin and made them raw as he was hung from the rafters of the large storage barn (or torture chamber) for endless hours. When the first burning sting of the whip tore through his flesh, his howl of pain was unlike anything he’d ever given before. He told himself he could deal with the punishment; that he had suffered through worse and he would get through this no matter what. However, with every powerful lash and the metallic taste filling his mouth, he became weaker…

_(and the thing inside stronger…enraged…darker…)_

…unable to hang on until he passed out and was awoken with a douse of brine that worsened the angry welts all over his body. Blood flowed freely from broken flesh, and even as he struggled to control his emotions, he could still feel it; the dark rage bubbling within that threatened to spill out in a rush. He knew what was going to happen if he gave in, and yet when he saw his torturer approach with yet another whip being wrapped around his hand, Naruto finally snapped.

_(at last!)_

He couldn’t tell you exactly what happened, but all he could remember was suddenly bolting out of the burning building for his dear life. Not caring how many innocents were affected by his sudden display of inhuman strength.

And still they chased.

_[Don’t let him get away! Catch that son-of-a-bitch! He must be arrested!]_

Fear and yet hysteria seized him in a vice-like grip. He heard the roar of the ocean below and he contemplated running…running…running right off and into…

“Whoa there, young man. Don’t go doing something you’re going to regret.”

Strong arms – from seemingly nowhere – wrapped around his waist and yanked him back with so much force; he was lifted off his feet in one swift move. The first thing to cross his mind was just how strong this man was, and secondly, just how much hair he had. However, it wasn’t until he found himself staring into those dark eyes filled with unspoken secrets, would Naruto finally feel himself unwilling to fight any longer. He would eventually pass out in exhaustion, only to awaken to drifts and bits of conversation that went a little something like: 

“…fire you say?”  
“…can’t explain it…everything just went up in flames…”  
“…boy was not hurt at all?”  
“You saw him…hardly a scratch…”  
“I wouldn’t call those welts and wounds a scratch. You overstepped your boundaries with him….will be under my custody from now on…”

And that was that.

He would awaken, fully, a few days later to the warmth and comfort of a real bed, and Madara silently studying him as if he were a unique specimen. 

Naruto’s initial reaction had been to run away in fear, for he now recognized who the man was (having seen the famous samurai from afar a few times in the past). To think that he was actually in the presence of Uchiha Madara – considered to be the most talented yet youngest man to be designated as head of the military police…!

 _(I’m definitely dead now)_  
  
“Don’t be afraid,” came the surprisingly gentle words laced with a small smile. “You can worry less about being hunted down by the police now. We’ve come to an agreement of sorts.”

“…huh?”

Madara, who was kneeling beside the bed all this time, reached out to caress Naruto’s cheek as if unable to control himself. At the blond’s visible shudder, his handsome features fell as if disappointed. “You will no longer be hunted by the police,” he repeated. “You are now under my personal protection, Naruto.”

“…how do you know my name?”

There was a mysterious quirk of his lips and his eyes seemed to darken with malevolent intent before disappearing just as quickly as it appeared. “I am the police, remember? It is my job to know the names of every criminal that crosses my path, and you must not forget that you are just that…a criminal who has to pay his dues.”

“What do you want me to do?”

He had visions of being made to work in the mines or mountains digging up rocks for days on end, but at the soft chuckle and another tender caress of his cheek, Madara simply replied enigmatically.

“Oh, you’ll see, my dearest one. You’ll see.”

Madara kept his word, for after almost six months of having Naruto as his personal manservant – simply doing nothing but chores around the house and running errands – the young samurai was finally ready to claim his reward. 

It was Naruto’s first time with a man, and he had hoped his last. Nothing about it had been pleasurable for he could remember kicking, screaming, scratching and crying out in horrified pain as he was taken rather roughly until something thick and warm coated his most intimate of places. As blood and semen trickled between his thighs and onto the sheets, Naruto felt he would never be whole again. Madara had broken something inside of him, yet managed to awaken a perverted desire to experience more of this pain and residual pleasure. 

When it was finally over, he remembered Madara lifting his unresisting body into the bath; washing him tenderly and promising to be a little gentler next time, for he had been holding back all these months and simply couldn’t control himself. He showered Naruto with kisses reserved for lovers, tended to his wounds and left him alone for a week after that to heal. The second time around, it was less painful but still not something he could get used to. Though he was less animated and combative, he still didn’t respond in a way that pleased his lover. Naruto wondered if it was better for him to just be sent to the mountains instead of having to deal with this night after night, but it appeared Madara had other plans.

He began to woo Naruto, much to the blond’s embarrassment.

Madara’s trips to different towns would earn him gifts in the form of the sweetest (and most expensive) candy treats, the finest silk kimonos, or rare souvenirs especially those bought from the Dutch foreigners. He hated to admit that he enjoyed being spoiled, and that seeing Madara smile like an idiot when he was pleased with any particular gift made him feel ‘funny’ inside. In return, he’d receive a tender kiss on the cheek or forehead or a gentle squeeze of his hand. He never made any overt sexual advances, and for the rest of the year, Madara kept his distance – at least in the bedroom. 

Naruto, who had initially appreciated the gesture and now felt more comfortable about going to sleep without being pounced on, began to feel a little…well… _lonely_. It got worse when he learned, from the other servants, that Madara had begun visiting the red light district more often to satisfy himself. Rumor was even spreading that he had found someone new – a much prettier young man to keep him pleased. 

_(is that so?)_

Jealousy gnawed at his insides like a parasite, though he tried not to reveal it to the older man. Instead, he set about doing his best to garner Madara’s interest again. He was more diligent during the day; making sure his master’s office space was neat and tidy, that his tea and snacks were brought on time and that he was at Madara’s beck and call should he be needed. He would wash and prepare himself every night, making sure he dressed in the fine kimonos his master bought for him. He even made an attempt to learn how to play the _shamisen_ , though he gave up after realizing he sounded like a drunken man and was probably annoying his partner with the racket he was making. If Madara noticed Naruto’s extra attention, he did not acknowledge it overtly. All he would do was to pat the boy on his head and thank him for a job well done.

After a month of this, Naruto finally had enough. 

“Do you want me or not?” he eventually snapped impatiently one night while Madara was yet again buried over his documents. 

The officer had looked up with a bemused expression; dark eyes taking in the trembling figure loosely draped in a lovely pastel kimono. It brought out the blue of Naruto’s eyes and for a moment his breath caught at how exquisite the young man was. 

“What do you mean, Naruto?” he asked politely. “Is there something bothering you?”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Naruto growled; angry to feel the tears forming in his eyes. _Damn it to hell and back._ “You’re getting tired of me, aren’t you? I annoy you, don’t I?”

“Naruto -”

“You know what I am, don’t you? Someone told you what I really am, didn’t they?”

Something unreadable and dark flashed within Madara’s eyes, but he said nothing. 

Naruto took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, unaware of how majestic the posture made him appear to be. “It’s all right if you find me irritating,” he stated with words that shook with passion. “But you’re just going to have to get used to it. I have no plans to change who I am just because you don’t like me any longer. I’m sorry I can’t be as pure and untainted as the slut you keep going to see over there!”

Madara sighed. “You’re raving like a lunatic, Naruto. Go to bed. It’s been a long day for both of us and…”

And whatever else he might have said was quickly lost in the oh-so-pleasurable and delightful sensation of warm, trembling inexperienced lips pressed hard against his. Naruto’s slender arms snaked around his neck and held on tightly; the salt of his tears mingling with the sweet taste of their saliva as tongues met hungrily. Someone growled and Naruto felt the strong arm around his waist to lift him upon powerful thighs now spread apart…an open invitation if he dared. 

When they finally pulled apart for air, it was for fevered gazes to collide as foreheads met gently in silent understanding.

“You drive me to my breaking point, Naruto. You know that, don’t you?” Madara groaned as the boy sucked on his fingers to begin preparing himself as his master had taught him so many nights ago.

“What am I ever going to do with you?” came the husky broken words against his gazelle-like neck.

“Anything you wish,” Naruto whispered as he slowly impaled himself with a soft sigh of relief albeit slight pain after being deprived for so long. He buried his fingers into the thick mane of hair, pressed his face against the soft tresses, inhaled greedily of that intoxicating scent and began to move his hips.

_(oh God yes)_

“I’m all yours…”

* * *

He smiled absently at the pretty girl who served him yet another plate of delicious dango, so lost in his thoughts he couldn’t even remembering ordering the first one. Either way, the sweet dumplings upon his tongue was refreshing, and washing it down with some green tea made it even better. The roadside restaurant was not busy at this time of the day, and his only companions were an old man fast asleep on the bench outside, and a mother feeding her toddler the sweet treats. 

Naruto sighed and looked to the heavens, noticing the darkening clouds in the distance. Looked like it really was going to rain this evening, so he’d probably have to go back to Madara’s place for the night instead of running off as he had planned. He knew Izuna, Madara’s younger brother and the chief of police when big brother wasn’t in town – would whine and bitch about his disappearance again, but compared to Madara, Izuna was almost a saint. Naruto had come to know just the right words to say to the younger Uchiha sibling to coax his way out of any trouble. 

Speaking of darkening clouds, didn’t the ‘change’ in their relationship start about two years ago? 

Naruto sucked on the skewer absently; his gaze distant as he tried to recall just what happened. 

* * *

Madara had returned from yet another of his many trips (Naruto had lost track at this point), looking more banged up than usual. His morose silence was even worse, and though Naruto had playfully teased him as he washed his back and tended to his wounds, Madara had appeared distracted and preoccupied. His performance in bed wasn’t any better. He seemed to go through the motions, though something had sparked within those dark eyes at the sight of blood from the small nick made upon Naruto’s wrist while clutching the headboard. 

Naruto, who was still trying to catch his breath from his orgasm, could only watch with a raised brow as Madara – as if in a daze – reached for his wrist to raise it slowly to his lips. 

“What are you…aaah…”

Naruto whimpered at the sudden sensation of Madara’s lips upon the wound, followed by an intense sucking – as if the older man was determined to drain every drop of blood from him – which finally made Naruto cry out and try to push the other man way.

“Stop it! That hurts!”

At first Madara’s crimson eyes still held that manic look of hunger within, but eventually cleared as he shook his head lightly. He blinked a few times as if to orient himself back to the present before looking at the boy clutching his bruised arm to his chest with frightened blue eyes. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Naruto had asked in a fearful whisper. “You’ve been acting strange since you came back.”

“I…” Madara’s jaw worked as if struggling to say something, but he seemed to be against it as he shook his head and left the room without another word. He would not return to bed that night…or the night after. 

Worried that his master was sick, Naruto had done his best to try to help; offering himself and hoping the sucking episode wouldn’t happen again. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned. When Madara did finally agree to be with him again, he was the one to cause the wound; sharp canines breaking the skin of his left shoulder which made Naruto wince in pain. He tried to protest, but ended up whining with reluctant pleasure at the wet sensation of Madara’s tongue lapping at the bite; his arms tightening around Naruto’s waist as if drawing strength from the smaller frame against his. Again, he drank thirstily, low sounds of pleasure rumbling from deep within him as he took his fill. A part of Naruto was terrified of this new side to his lover, and yet he dared not tell him to stop. If this was what it took to keep Madara happy, then so be it. He could drink from him for as long as he wanted.

Or so he had thought. 

It was fine with the little bites here and there, but when the dagger had come into play (watching in horror as the blade would pierce his skin in perfect straight lines), Naruto finally put his foot down by running away the very next night. He was lucky enough to escape for a few months, but Madara – who seemed to have spies every damn place – found him soon enough and he was returned bound and gagged and nearly beaten to an inch of his life by overzealous officers eager to please their boss.

Luckily the dagger was kept away for a  while, but Naruto was never really comfortable in Madara’s presence anyway. No matter how much the older man tried to placate and sweet-talk his way into Naruto’s good graces, the blond was now more on guard, cautious, and unwilling to give in as completely as he did. 

“You’re not yourself,” he whispered one night  as they lay side-by-side; skins pleasantly flushed from an intense passionate encounter which left both parties satisfied. “Why won’t you talk to me and tell me what’s going on?”

For a moment, Naruto was sure he was going to be ignored, but all he saw was a sudden weariness (sadness?) within those eyes he had come to love. Madara reached out to caress his cheek, fingertips tracing the outline of each whisker reverently. 

“There is a world out there,” came the quiet words that were barely audible. It was as if he was speaking to himself and not his concerned lover before him. “A world out there I hope you never get to see, my dearest.”

“Wha…what are you talking about? Is it your job? Is it becoming more difficult?”

Madara gave a wry smile. “Oh, you have no idea. I wish I could keep you in this house forever, my love. To protect you from what is out there, but you keep running away…giving them the ability to find you, and I will not have that.”

“You’re not making any sense,” Naruto whispered fearfully. “Who’s out there to find me besides your officers? What are you protecting me from?”

“You belong to me,” Madara continued as if Naruto had never spoken at all. There was a distant expression on his visage now; an arm snaking around to pull Naruto even closer to him. “I will not let them take you away from me. You are mine. You will always be mine.”

At that time, Naruto had felt a low warmth of happiness at those words, not really bothering to understand what they meant. All he knew was that Madara loved him and wanted him…

_(he’s using you…using us! Open your eyes, you stupid kid!)_

…and he would stubbornly refuse to listen to that voice that was getting louder and louder within him. He wanted to continue believing in this twisted fairytale, and yet it would sometimes take Madara simply looking at him with that terrifying hunger, to send his blood running cold all over again. It was a dangerous dance now; to love him and yet fear the man at the same time. To seek solace outside of that claustrophobic home whenever Madara left town for his mysterious trips, and to return with the hope that things would have changed. 

_(never again…the Madara you once knew is no longer there. Can’t you see?)_

And just when he had somehow managed to convince himself to run away and never, ever, ever return to Madara again, guess who shows up to shatter the tentative wall he had built to protect himself? 

_(sigh)_

* * *

“Naruto?! Oy! Is that you?!”

Naruto was jerked out his reverie; eyes widening as he recognized the grinning dark-skinned man waving and walking toward him with excitement. 

“Omoi?” he called out in disbelief as he rose to his feet; almost overturning the table with how fast he moved. “You’re still alive? I don’t fucking believe it!”

They jumped into each other’s arms in a clumsy dance/embrace, both too thrilled to be bothered at the weird looks they received from the other patrons and restaurant owners at their antics. 

“I thought for sure you were dead!” Naruto cried out, while wiping the tears from his eyes. 

Omoi grinned; his teeth almost too white against the tanned hue of his skin. His short white hair made him stand out even more, and he was dressed in a rather well-made black kimono – a stark contrast to the shabbier ones he used to wear while they were in Hiromi’s gang. As if noticing Naruto’s approving look, he spun around once and posed.

“What do you think, eh? Not too bad for a man wanted by the Bakufu, eh?”

Naruto laughed and patted his back, urging him to sit down as they both straightened out the table. Omoi was only a year older than him, and though they hadn’t really been tight friends back then, Omoi was one of the few who didn’t tease him as much. They both enjoyed doing the same things actually, and whenever there was a down time for the gang, Omoi would either take him fishing or try to teach him how to use his sword. He was a terrible teacher though, for he had the tendency to talk a lot or get lost in his thoughts for hours at a time. 

As he ordered himself (and Naruto) more plates of dango, he regaled the blond about how he and two other gang members had hidden in the bowels of the home of a merchant dealer for a few months. It was hard times for them, but the merchant was able to pull some strings and finally got them on a boat heading for Okinawa. They survived by working as fishermen for a while, before the life of crime came beckoning again; this time dealing with shipment of cargo from one side of the country to the other.

“It’s a great job,” Omoi said earnestly, though his voice was lowered as he leaned over the table to stare intensely at his companion. “We work at night mostly, usually gunning for the foreign ships with their fancy weapons and gunpowder, fine wine, perfumes, linen and let’s not even talk about the money they hoard on those things.” He whistled and downed the rest of his tea in a gulp, took a deep breath, belched and grinned at his silent friend. “I guess its fate that brought us together again, my friend, because I was just thinking the other day of just how useful you’d be for some of our missions…”

Naruto was already shaking his head with a small wistful smile. “Nah…I’m through with that, my brother. I don’t think I’m cut out to be a common thief anymore.”

Omoi smirked and raised a brow. “I guess the rumors are true then.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed. “What rumors?”

“That you’ve become Uchiha Madara’s bitch.”

Naruto turned crimson and glared at the smug grin on the other man’s face. “That’s a lie,” he hissed beneath his breath. “I’m no longer with him.”

“Oh really? Then come with me right now,” Omoi taunted. “Take up your _katana_ and follow me, Uzumaki Naruto. Prove me wrong.”

Naruto clenched his hands into fists on his lap. The offer was tempting, so very tempting, and he could almost feel the wind in his air and the tangy scent of the sea filling his senses – or maybe it was just Omoi who made him feel this way. He stared at his friend, seeing the robust happiness he seemed to exude.

_(and what do I have to show for myself after all these years? Nothing but more dark and shameful secrets I can never reveal to anyone)_

“Maybe you need some time to think,” Omoi offered amiably. “But you better think quickly. Our ship leaves tonight for Edo. We have a big operation there in a few weeks, so let me know when you decide.”

Naruto nodded slowly; his mind still whirling with endless possibilities. This was his chance, wasn’t it? Madara was already a day away into his journey. Izuna posed no threat to him, so why not? Why not take this opportunity to really free himself from Madara’s power over him? 

“You have until the midnight hour, my friend,” Omoi was saying as he rose to his feet. “If I do not see you at the docks by then, we will leave without you. Though I won’t say I won’t be disappointed if you choose to remain in this damned town, so I really hope you make the right choice. See you around, my friend.”

He left with a two-fingered wave over his shoulder, leaving Naruto to stare after him until he was nothing more than a speck in the horizon. For a long moment, he remained frozen on the bench, the conflicting thoughts on what he ought to do nearly driving him insane. It wasn’t until the first heavy drops of rain to fall from the heavens, did he finally rouse himself out of his daydream to survey his surroundings. The restaurant owners and their lovely daughter were running around trying to close down the windows and protect their furniture from getting wet. 

Dreading getting soaked himself, Naruto managed to haggle with the old man for his umbrella, and ended up shelling out three _ryō_ – pretty steep for the pathetic looking thing - but at least it would protect him a little. 

Grumbling beneath his breath, he began the jog  to Madara’s home, though Omoi’s invitation still buzzed around his head incessantly. To go to Edo…how tempting. He had always wanted to visit that place, and though he had begged Madara a few times in the past to take him there, his lover had always declined with some random excuse or another. 

_Just for a while._ _I’ll just go this time…see what the fuss is about and return before getting into more trouble,_ Naruto thought as he approached the center of town where its narrow streets were almost deserted. The rain was now a downpour and visibility was next to impossible. He could hardly walk without the fear of tripping over himself and falling flat onto the muddy road. 

He winced as a sudden gust of wind caused the umbrella to twist its way inside out, and try as he might to force it back into shape, it snapped in two and was torn out of his hands. 

“Fuck!” he cursed in frustration, throwing his hands over his head (as if that would help) and darting into the nearest lit building, which luckily turned out to be an inn. He apologized profusely to the innkeeper – a wizened woman with too much makeup on her features – and reassured her he was simply staying until the rain stopped. Besides, he couldn’t afford to spend any more money today. He doubted that stingy bastard (Izuna) would spare anymore. 

“You stay in here,” the hostess was saying as she ushered Naruto into a small room – probably the cheapest – with only a low table and a plain large pillow available. There wasn’t even a damn futon to lay down in, and he was quick to give her the middle finger once the screen door was slammed shut behind her.

Pouting, he slumped on his stomach and closed his eyes, the heavy yet steady _pitter-patter_ of raindrops on the roof, nearly lulling him to sleep. He wasn’t sure, but he felt he might have been dreaming when he began to hear the rising voices in the room beside him. He lifted weary lashes and tried to change positions on the uncomfortable floor, wishing the bastards next door would shut up already. 

However, just as he was about to drift back into fitful sleep, the familiar timbre of a voice he was sure ought to be miles away, had him lifting his lashes again quickly.

_(huh? can’t be…just hearing things…)_

And yet there was no mistaking it. Call it a lover’s intuition or just having heard that voice so many times in the past, it was almost like a subtle calling to his innermost carnal desires. He sat up and moved closer to the thin screen wall ; straining to catch what was going on.

“…cannot do this…”  
“…tell me…how…not here…”

 _Shit._ _Don’t understand a damn thing,_ Naruto mused in frustration. He had no idea why he felt it necessary to listen in to their conversation, but he knew if he didn’t satisfy his curiosity on who the familiar voice belonged to, he was never going to sleep for the rest of the night. With a grunt of determination, he crawled on all fours toward the screen door leading to the verandah. He knew he was likely to incur the wrath of the inn hostess if the rain got indoors, but Naruto was too far gone in his quest to care. He stepped – with bare feet – unto the wet patio and closed the door quickly behind him. 

“I must be insane,” he chattered as the cold seeped into his flesh, while tiptoeing toward the next room with his back pressed against the wall behind him. Luckily, the verandah connected both rooms and all he had to do was crouch and not garner their attention. The rain continued to pelt him mercilessly, but as he dared to crane his neck to look into the well lit room, his breath caught in his throat and he nearly fell off and into the garden at the sight before him.

_(it’s…impossible! It can’t be! He’s supposed to be in Osaka!)_

But how couldn’t it be? Who else in the world had that familiar long mane of black hair he had kissed and caressed and worshipped a million times over? Who else had indulged in his hair fetish and would sometimes wrap said hair around him like a cloth, both giggling like children at the ticklish sensation even as he found himself getting terribly aroused at the heavenly silkiness of those locks on his skin? 

Naruto slapped his cheeks hard to gather himself, and squinted against the rain to see who else was in the room. 

Madara, of course, with his back to him. Izuna on his left with his profile looking agitated, and two other strange men he had never seen before dressed in the finest of kimonos. One of them looked positively regal, with long straight black hair that fell to his waist and a frown on handsome features that were trained squarely on Madara. The other had shaggy white hair. His eyes seemed to glow a dull maroon, and his handsome features (almost similar to the dark-haired man at his side) was adorned with three red markings to give him a distinct look. His expression was just as annoyed, and with his arms folded across his chest, it appeared as if the two strangers were not too pleased with whatever Madara was telling them. 

“…you know he belongs to us,” the dark-haired one was saying. “Keeping him as your personal plaything does not help anyone, Madara.”

“And giving him to you wolves is the best solution?” Madara sneered. “I don’t think so, Hashirama. Go back to your region and leave us be. It will be a cold day in Hell before I hand him over to you vultures.”

“The _biju_ was created to help defeat the Malevolents,” Hashirama replied tightly. “It was a power created for good, not to feed your personal cravings. Do you think we have not noticed your increase in strength the past few battles?”

“I do not know what you speak of -”

“Do not think we are fools,” the white-haired one finally spoke in a tone that was anything but patient. “You have displayed skills you never possessed before and it all started the moment you realized how you could access his power.”

Izuna, who had been listening to all this with widening eyes glanced at his brother in dismay. He shook his head slowly as if trying not to believe what he was hearing. “It’s not true,” he began in a small voice. “My brother would never do something like that.”

“Then ask him why he’s so adamant on keeping the boy. You cannot tell me it’s because he has developed feelings for him.” The word ‘feelings’ was said in a way to make Naruto cringe with humiliation. 

“My relationship with Naruto is of no concern to you,” Madara snapped, and for Naruto, who heard his name so suddenly, gave a low gasp which would have probably given him away if a sudden clap of thunder didn’t choose to interrupt at the same time. His heart was a throbbing ache in his throat, likely to fall right out of his mouth if he dared speak. They were talking about him. whatever was going on…it was all about him.

_(a biju…what is that? Is that what I am?)_

“You Senju,” Madara spat out coldly. “Using anyone available for your sickening experiments. If you hadn’t given Minato the ability to seal the beast within the child, none of this would have happened. You only had to give us the rights to control the _biju_ from the beginning and such horrific disasters would have been prevented.”

Hashirama shrugged his shoulders lightly. “The reason the _biju_ was sealed in the boy was because he was the offspring of incredibly powerful spirit world warriors. He was the chosen one, likely to become the greatest fighter we’ve ever had. With the _biju_ within him, we would finally be able to deal with The Darkness. We would no longer have to fear its threat. We accept that we failed to foresee the tragedy the boy caused with the death of his entire village even his parents, but we lost sight of him after that. For years we searched for him to no avail…”

He stopped for Madara’s shoulders were shaking. It wasn’t until he threw his head back and laughed loud and long, did they all realize he was amused by whatever Hashirama had said.

“Searched for him?” Madara cackled. “Searched for him you say? Don’t make me laugh, you liars! You immortal freaks, with your fanciful powers, should have been able to find him easily. Let’s be honest here,” he said with a smirk as the laughter died suddenly. “The only reason you want him now is because you are getting weaker. Your armies are being destroyed by The Darkness and now you seek him to use for  your own bidding. Give me a break.”

He began to rise to his feet. “Let’s go, Izuna,” he commanded only to find himself suddenly slammed to the floor, for the white-haired man had moved so fast, even Naruto had seen nothing more than a blur. 

“Let him go, Tobirama,” Hashirama said with a soft sigh. “It’s no use fighting with him. Remember that cursed ability of his to weaken  us.”

Tobirama growled with fury, perhaps wishing he could punch the smirk right off Madara’s face. He reluctantly released his fingers and sat back  with a scowl. 

“You are a hypocrite, Madara,” he finally spat out venomously. “You say you despise us for what we are, and yet  you drink off his blood to gain his strength for you know it gives you more life and makes you stronger. How long do you think it’s going to go on before he realizes the truth? It’s only a matter of time, don’t you think?”

“Then I’ll take him away from here…or kill him before I let you put your filthy paws on him.”

Naruto froze; his heart thudding loudly in his ears.

_(no…)_

“If it means having to extract the _biju_ from him myself, then I will. He’s matured enough to be able to handle it, but if not…then I guess that’s one less body to worry about.”

Hashirama’s jaw tightened. “You kept him all these years just to make sure he was mature enough?”

“He was only sixteen when I plucked  him,” Madara replied with a cold smile. “His body was so delicate, and just taking an ounce of the _biju_ from him was likely to kill him on the spot. I had to bide my time. He’s almost twenty-one now – a man by all accounts – and it’s likely his body should be able to deal with the extraction process, but if not…” He shrugged and rose to his feet albeit unsteadily while caressing his neck. There were already faint bruises forming from Tobirama’s attack. 

“My advice is to stay away from me and my family during this time,” Madara warned; his expression dark and dangerous. “I have the ability to summon enough _yōkai_ to send you all to your deaths, so do not revel in your immortality just yet.”

“I do not understand why you fight against us,” Hashirama cried out; the frustration evident in his words. “You are like us! Our ancestors have always worked together to defeat the evil darkness that threatens us and mere mortals. Why would you wish to go against that?!”

“Because I despise the very notion of it. Your existence is profane to the doctrines of our ancestors and I’ll stop at nothing to eliminate you all,” Madara roared back; his features contorting in an expression so ugly, Naruto almost cried out at the sight. This couldn’t be the Madara  he had lived with and loved all these years. This couldn’t possibly be the same man. Who was this stranger before him? What had happened to the kind, gentle, tender lover who showered him with gifts and praises?

_(it was all a ruse, remember? Didn’t I warn you? Didn’t I tell you that he has always known who you were from the beginning? But you…you weak pathetic human so desperate to be loved and needed by anyone. You turned a blind eye to the truth, didn’t you? Now what are you going to do, eh? Run back to him and ask him to be honest with you? Try to convince him with your broken body that he cannot kill you? Give it up, kid. He has never really cared for you. Not once. All you ever were to him was a vessel he had to cultivate. It’s **me** he’s always wanted. You are simply no longer needed)_

He felt it then; something hardening within him as he took a tentative step backwards. He did not feel the rain anymore; could not feel anything at all. It was an almost pleasurable cloak of numbness, a realization that all he had ever known and believed was nothing more than a lie. He had given his heart and soul to that man –

_(stranger)_

…in the room, and it had been stomped on over and over again only to be discarded as nothing more than worthless trash. 

_(you’ve always been trash anyway…what’s so new now?)_

He spun on his heels and walked away, not bothering to use the front door he had come through. He began to walk faster…and faster…and faster…until it became a jog…feet pounding lightly on the muddy earth.

_(run away…that’s right…run away)_

…and he did. His feet became a blur as he sped toward his freedom. His lungs screamed for air. His eyes stung with unshed tears. He was drenched to the bone, and yet he ran and ran and ran, never stopping until he smelled it; the sweet tangy salt of the heaving sea beckoning. 

He looked down at the bustling port below and then at the waiting ships eager to take him away from this Hell. Omoi was waiting for him. Edo was waiting for him. And with a grim smile of determination on his features, Naruto tore down the hill with no care for his safety.

(for what good is this body anymore? I’ve been stripped away of what little hope for humanity I had left)

 _So come find me if you dare, Uchiha Madara,_ he vowed silently. _Search tirelessly until your thirst for me drives you insane. For the next time we meet, I’ll be much stronger in mind and spirit, and I vow to repay the favor a thousand fold._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Sepia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, ladies and gents! I just got a new job with more hours, which translates to me probably having less time to spend writing (or being too exhausted), but hopefully it won’t be as bad as me not having to update for months at a time. *crosses fingers* 
> 
> All the same, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and as always I relish in your feedback/comments no matter how short or verbose they might be. 
> 
> And just in case I do not update before Christmas, here’s wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.
> 
> * * *

 

**Shitamachi, Edo**  
 **Three Months Later**

He was home.

From the moment he stepped foot upon its shores, Naruto knew he had found a place just made for him. 

Edo was a cesspool of sin, rebellion, and nonconformity; where an explosion of creativity and knowledge poured from every corner. People were not afraid to seek higher intellectual planes, and it wasn’t uncommon to see scholars and students alike filling open classrooms to soak in all they could. From mathematics to astronomy, cartography to engineering, medicine and the arts – there were no limits to how far you could go if you were willing to broaden the mind. Dojos harbored eager samurai devoted to the concept of _bushido_ , while the townsfolk were content to revel in _chōnindō_ – diligence, loyalty, honor, honesty and frugality - while embracing a variety of religions to emphasize those traits. 

In the midst of this, the youth basked in the glorious freedom of expression. It was a culture unafraid to explore new fashions – where the brightest of clothing or the elaborate details of body art – could be seen on beautiful people daily. It was a culture that embraced unique and often risqué forms of entertainment and the idea of frivolous sexual exploits was nothing to be ashamed of. Why it wasn’t uncommon to walk into a shop where special _ukiyo-e_ depicted the most graphic of sexual positions for all manners of partners, and to regale in an atmosphere where poets and artists alike celebrated the most intimate of such communions.

The rich and the poor intermingled on bustling streets, narrow bridges and heaving ports; though the elite samurai did have the tendency to look down on the common folk (same as everywhere else in the country). However, unlike other towns were the distinctions were too obvious, in Edo, it was difficult to tell the difference especially when darkness fell. The nightlife was an experience all of its own. You had your choice of theatres, festivals, and of course, whore houses to visit at your leisure. The red light district was a haven for the greedy and the deprived, for those who simply wished to look (though later chased away by police on patrol if they could not pay), and for those who could shell out the money for the most exclusive private entertainment. 

In this city of the beautiful and the brave, Naruto could fit in easily, and why not? For beneath the layers of gaiety and seeming utopia, the seedy underbelly lurked in the shadows and found its own niche amongst those who embraced it. The freaks, the unwanted, the damned, the shunned; those who dared not show their faces in the brilliance of the day wallowed in the darkness of the night where their deeds could be carried out without the fear of persecution. In this underbelly of sin, even the legitimate ones sought permission to enter; brave samurai from established families, members of the _bakufu_ (the shogun’s lap dogs), _daimyos_ , and merchants – eager to engage in acts which would defile the gods they openly worship in public. Dirty money exchanged hands, plans for assassinations and hostile takeovers were hatched over cups of sake, illegal gambling ran rampant in hidden rooms, while beautiful women (and men) had their supple bodies exchanged for money and goods, for hedonistic acts, to the highest bidder. 

He smiled to himself and lifted the cup of _sake_ to his lips; the cool evening breeze bathing his flesh as he leaned upon the wooden railing to observe in silence. 

Yes. This was his kind of city. Why go anywhere else?

“You sure you don’t want to join us?” came the loud voice behind him accompanied by a hard playful slap on his back. “I hear the girls tonight were just shipped in from Hong Kong. _Hong Kong!_ You don’t get any better than that, my brother.”

Naruto glanced at the grinning man beside him. Omoi’s breath stunk of the _sake_ he had been guzzling all evening, and even his eyes looked a little glazed over. Still, it didn’t deter the tanned man from looking absolutely jubilant, and he had every reason to be. Their latest ‘job’ had garnered them quite the payout. In fact, with all the money they had made, they didn’t need to do anything for a while, but knowing Omoi and his impatience, it was likely he’d be bothering Naruto soon for yet another offer to come their way. 

“I’ll pass,” Naruto replied as he turned back to his view of the city before him. For the past hour, they were guests of one of their ‘customers’ – a merchant who by day ran a legitimate blacksmith business, but at night indulged in his need for illegal commodities from neighboring countries. It was rare for the low-class members of society like themselves to be invited into the lavish home of a merchant, so their little gang considered it an extra treat and honor. 

“You have fun, eh?” he encouraged absently.

“Well, you’re no fun,” Omoi pouted as he threw an arm around Naruto’s shoulder. “You keep saying you want to come back here after each job, but you never try to enjoy yourself. I don’t know what the hell made you change your mind so quickly that night, but don’t think for one second that I don’t appreciate you being a part of the crew. The boys love you!”

He squeezed Naruto’s shoulders gently and placed a hard kiss on the whiskered cheek. “When you change your mind, you know where to find us, eh?”

And with a loud laugh, he excused himself, leaving Naruto to stare thoughtfully into the alcoholic beverage remaining in his cup.

_/The boys love you! /_

_Yeah, right._

Some of them might, but Naruto wasn’t stupid. He knew that a few had begun to worry about how well he was doing and his position in the group. Along with Omoi, there were three others who had been with them in Hiromi’s gang – and ironically enough, it was those three that seemed to have a problem with him (at least when Omoi wasn’t around). Apparently, they had always considered Naruto as a nuisance, from being Hiromi’s pet to now being Omoi’s best buddy. For some reason, they got it in their heads that he was out to ‘get them’, and that soon enough Omoi would remove them from the group just to please Naruto. He would laugh at all stupid it all seemed, if a part of their fear wasn’t founded. 

_Greedy sons-of-bitches,_ Naruto thought bitterly as he drained the rest of his drink. Those three always wanted the largest of the shares since they considered themselves the oldest and more seasoned veterans. Naruto never complained though Omoi tried to appease all parties, but those bastards always made it a point to mention just how long they had been in this business. Everyone else would have to pick up the pieces of whatever was left behind, after they collected the lion’s share. 

_Maybe I should just quit while I’m still ahead,_ he mused, though he worried that Omoi would find him ungrateful. After all, when he had shown up at the port that night, drenched and out of breath and unable to articulate his muddled thoughts at the time, his friend had only taken one look at him, grinned like a cat with pleasure and welcomed him into the fold with no questions asked. 

He had learned the rudiments of the job easily enough. Omoi would get assignments from their ‘unseen’ customer, and they’d begin plans to raid the appropriate ship when the time came. Weapons – as in good _katana_ – were much stricter to carry around in Edo due to its laws (only recognized samurai were allowed to do so), but good connections had given them privy to the best of them. He learned for the first time how gunpowder and guns worked in general, and it still shocked him at how quick death came with the heavy weapon in his hand. 

“At least it’s less messy,” Omoi had reasoned as they stood over the body of a ship’s captain with a bullet hole in his forehead. 

_Less messy, but still lethal._ It was enough for Naruto to beg Omoi for him to simply work with the _katana_. He couldn’t (and maybe didn’t) want to deal with the pressure of the foreigner’s weapons.   

Stealing a ship and offloading its cargo had to be down to a science, for one slip up could ruin an entire raid easily. With about twenty members overall in Omoi’s gang, it was easy for at least ten of them to ambush the ship of the night, while the others waited with smaller boats and carriages on shore to accept the goods. However, this couldn’t go as planned without shelling out a few bribes to port and check-point officials. You had to have the right people who were willing to turn a blind eye to some of their activities, and it really wasn’t difficult to pay them off at the right price. 

If Naruto were in the mindset to really see the difference between right and wrong, he might have sat back to re-consider his line of business. However, since that fateful night where he had witnessed the strange conversation between Madara and those two visitors, his dreams were fitful and nightmarish. He could never find a moment’s peace within his heart and mind, for the lingering fear that Madara would eventually find him kept him on his toes. He had vowed he’d get stronger to combat Madara should the time come, but so far, he had felt a restlessness and impatience at not being able to achieve that goal. Despite his ‘success’ as a smuggler, he was still considered lower class, and many of the dojos would not accept him as a student. He could boast of no acceptable trade to those who queried, and foolishly trying to bribe them had resulted in insults being hurled at him. His only other option would have to become legit and try to join the police force, but the irony of that almost made him laugh. If he joined the _bakufu_ , Madara would learn of it quickly, and he had no doubt the shrewd warrior have him arrested for some mundane reason just to exact his revenge.

/ “If it means having to extract the _biju_ from him myself, then I will. He’s matured enough to be able to handle it, but if not…then I guess that’s one less body to worry about.” /

He absently placed a hand upon his stomach and rubbed it gently; trying not to shiver at the memory of those coldly-stated words.

_Biju…extraction…yōkai…immortality…battles…_

Key words he had picked up from their bizarre conversation, and add to Madara’s enigmatic words of ‘there being a world out there he would rather not want Naruto to know’, the blond was beginning to wonder just _what_ kind of a world lay beyond this one. Just _what_ were _they_? Was there some strange country that engaged in wars all the time? If so how come no one else was talking about it? It would have been all over the tongues of civilians if that was the case. There was no sense of urgency on the streets, no sense of uneasiness in the air that came with impending war, so just what kind of ‘battles’ had those strange men been referring to? 

_And why did Madara make it seem as if they were immortals? Aren’t immortals people who can never die? How is that even possible? Isn’t that something you read about in fairytales? Do such people actually exist? And if they do…just how many of them are out there?_

_(they wander amongst you every day…all you have to do is **see** beyond your human limits)_

He started as if goosed; tiny bumps of awareness rising on his skin as he shivered. It felt as if someone was watching him, but as he squinted at the wandering people below, no one in particular seemed to be paying him any extra attention. He glanced at the storied building across from him and eyed the boisterous parties within the well-lit rooms. There was no one on the balcony watching him either. Everyone else was lost in their world of sin and depravity, and had no time for his solitary figure in the darkness.

He snorted lightly and closed his eyes. 

Perhaps he was just imagining things.

__

 

However, the next morning, his uneasiness grew. 

“You’re up early,” came the pleasant greeting from the food seller who specialized in the best ramen this side of Japan – in Naruto’s humble opinion. He grinned, revealing chipped teeth, to place a steaming bowl of miso ramen before the appreciative blond. “Your usual, eh?”

Naruto smiled and dug in with as much gusto as he could muster. There was still a heavy mist in the air, which gave the entire city a ghostly feel. It felt as if everyone was still suffering a hangover from last night, the silhouettes of the people –drab and gray - as they shuffled their way to work with weary smiles or drooped masks for faces. Even the usual noises from the port seemed muted and hollow; as if occurring in a distant land and barely a mile or so away from him. 

_(someone’s watching me)_

He froze; his chopsticks in mid-air as he felt it again; that undeniable tingle of awareness. His heart began to pound within his chest. Was it Madara? Or was it one of his men spying on him? He couldn’t look around for fear he’d make his worry that obvious, and what good would that have done anyway? The mist was so thick, it was nearly impossible to see anyone more than several feet away. 

“You okay?”

He looked up with haunted eyes, at the concerned weathered features before him. The older man was in the midst of frying some fish, but his gray eyes were trained on the young man who looked as pale as a ghost. 

“You okay?” he asked again. “You don’t look so good, young man. Maybe you should go home and lie down. Get some rest.”

Naruto lowered the chopsticks and expelled a breath of air. “Yeah…maybe I should. It was a long night.”

He excused himself with a weak smile, leaving a generous tip for the cook before making his way down the street; wishing he had his _katana_ with him. Unfortunately, it was risky to carry it around during the day. 

“Someone watching you?” Omoi asked with a loud yawn, when Naruto finally woke him up, and pestered him with his concern. Much to his chagrin, he had to shoo away the two naked women he had slept with last night to accommodate his friend, and even at that he still stared longingly after their pale flesh with hunger as they tittered out of the room.

“Since last night,” Naruto explained with a frown. He hardly blinked when Omoi paced around the room in the nude before finding his discarded _yukata_ to slip into it. “You think it’s the _bakufu_?”

“Bah,” Omoi scoffed and tied the sash around his waist. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If they were going to arrest you, they would have done that months ago. We’ve got most of those bastards in our pockets anyway. What are you so worried about?”

He tapped Naruto’s shoulder in reassurance before sitting across him with a grin. “In fact, I know just the thing to get your mind off your problems.”

“What’s that?”

“We’ve got a new job,” he began, and held up a finger to stop Naruto from protesting. “I know, I know. we just finished a major one two weeks ago, but trust me, my brother. This one is going to be different.”

He rubbed his hands together and smirked in delight. “Don’t think I haven’t given this some thought, but I feel we should branch into other fields, know what I mean? I mean the ship raids are all well and good, but what if something goes wrong? We need a backup to make ends meet. So, I’m thinking we can continue where Hiromi _heichou_ left off.”

Naruto raised a brow. “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.”

“You do realize that he’s dead, right? That he was caught eventually? Or did you forget that little bit?”

“That’s because he didn’t plan properly,” Omoi rebuffed with a frown. “That was one of his weaknesses. He was too trusting and look where that got him. You know how careful I am. This is going to be a cinch with my crew especially with you around.”

“Who put you up to this?”

“Huh?”

“It was Kentaro and the others, wasn’t it?”

Omoi frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “So what if it was?” He raised a brow warily. “Why am I getting the vibes that you don’t care for them very much?”

“Because I don’t,” Naruto blurted tightly. “He, Soujiro, and Masataka have not exactly accepted me as a member of the crew just in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Really? Because they say a lot of good things about you.”

“To your face maybe, but behind your back…” Naruto paused and shook his head. “Nevermind. Doesn’t matter anyway.”

“I’ll talk to them if you want -”

“No. Let it go. The last thing I want is there to be some kind of ‘he said she said’ crap going on. What’s this job about anyway?”

Omoi grinned; his bad mood dissipating quickly at the idea that Naruto was now interested. “Well, I’m glad you asked because you see…”

 

__

 

…it was going to be a complete and utter disaster.

Naruto knew that the moment he heard the plan, but had gone along just to please his friend – 

_(and to get my mind off that troubling idea of being followed and watched)_

It was relatively simple on paper; raid a nearby inn which would be hosting a wealthy feudal lord. Bonus points (aka payment) will be given if they were able to behead the bastard in the process. Omoi had reassured them that the man was only going to be traveling with a small entourage with at least five bodyguards they could take down easily. Unfortunately, someone must have forgotten to send the memo that the ‘five’ bodyguards would end up being over twenty foot soldiers stationed in an around the inn.

But that realization would come much later.

For now, Naruto rubbed his hands together to get some warmth into them. The nights were getting a colder and the local temple priest had predicted that it would be a bitter winter this year. He tightened the scarf around his neck and sniffled; his knees beginning to ache from the crouched position he had been in for the past hour. He was tucked between two large wine pots behind the inn; his job to give the signal to the rest of the crew once he was able to break into the _daimyo’_ s room on the second floor. However, he had to time this perfectly for there were five guards patrolling this area – five guards that should have been taken down by now if Kentaro wasn’t such a fuckhead. 

“I think Naruto should be able to handle them alone,” the conniving asshole had said during the final meeting. “We know how fast he is, and we’ll just be in the way. Masataka and I will take the East wing. Should be easier that way.”

Omoi had agreed without skipping a beat; completely ignoring the scowl on Naruto’s features as he met the smug smiles on Kentaro and Masataka’s faces. 

_(they are up to something…whatever it is…I’m not liking it at all)_

Either way, he had a job to do, and as he noticed the moving shadows above him, he placed his fingers between his lips and blew sharply once. Not waiting to see if they were following him or not (for he was in charge of three others), he leapt to his feet – ignored the protest of unused muscles at the motion – and climbed nimbly up the wall with his _wakizashi_ held tightly between his teeth. And just as he vaulted over the railing and onto the balcony, the first cry of surprise and anguish filled the night air. 

_(Good! At least my team’s doing its job)_

He’d grab the guard – who was just turning around to notice him – by the crook of his neck and slice it neatly; the warm wetness of his blood soaking the sleeve of his _yukata_ before he was lowered slowly to the ground. The second guard saw this and raised his _katana_ with a loud roar, but Naruto dodged the attack and unsheathed his sword to bury it into the exposed torso with a low grunt. He pushed the body away, wincing as the cries and chaos below and around the inn began to rise. 

_(not good…)_

He could smell a fire, but he wasn’t sure. It was hard to concentrate now with all the yelling especially from the innocent women in the building who were now caught in the middle of the skirmish. Secretly hoping Omoi was doing all right, Naruto kicked in the _shoji_ screen door and brandished his _katana_ ; his sharp gaze taking in the situation with a cold detachment. Thanks to the commotion downstairs, the _daimyo_ , his two male guests and several women for ‘entertainment’ were all shrieking and scrambling to escape. 

They almost made it to the door, when it slid open to reveal even more guards – some covered in blood but not badly hurt. It made Naruto wonder just how many of their crew had been lost, but this was no time to stand around worrying about it. He swung freely; his graceless motions still brutal enough to slice off two arms and nearly a head in the process. His entire body was now splattered with blood; the smell thick and pungent as he nearly slipped over the puddles forming on the floor. He wondered where the others were and why he wasn’t getting the help he needed, and as he pushed the body of yet another guard off his _katana_ – his breathing heavy and ragged – he saw his answer in the hallway. 

_(oh God…no…)_

Bodies were littered everywhere it seemed; many of them belonging to the men he had considered brothers in the past few months. Frantic, he searched for Omoi’s, hoping that his friend had at least made it alive. And just as he was about to turn around the next corner, he heard the loud blast of a weapon he had hoped would never come into play. It would take him a second later to realize that the stinging pain in his left shoulder was actually a –

_(…impossible…I’ve been…shot?)_

He stared stupidly at the bullet wound and rapidly blossoming wet stain against the cloth. Yes…he was indeed shot after all. Hah…how stupid.

There was the blast again, and this time it sent him to his knees with a low grunt of pain. This time the bullet had found his abdomen, and as he pressed his hands against the wound to stop the bleeding, he would look up – through bleary eyes – at the person responsible for this. 

“Huh…” he rasped through bloody teeth; a cynical smile on his visage. “Why am I not surprised? You planned this from the beginning, didn’t you?”

Kentaro smirked coldly, the smoking gun still pointed at Naruto as more guards began to fill the inn. Great. Even if he didn’t die here, he’d still be caught and publicly executed. What a pain in the ass. 

“You always were a nuisance, Uzumaki Naruto,” Kentaro was saying in a voice that seemed to be coming from miles away. “Nothing but bad luck. From the moment you joined our crew back then with Hiromi-san, I warned him about you. Those weird marks on your face…those were the signs of the devil, and we warned him, but he wouldn’t listen. You bring nothing but bad luck. Your kind should not exist.” He cocked the weapon and prepared to pull the trigger. “Let me help you get to the next world, _bake-mono_.”

And perhaps he would have, if someone (or something) didn’t seem to fly out from nowhere to tackle Kentaro to the ground. Naruto would have just enough time to notice the flash of white hair (?) before his world faded slowly into black. 

_(it’s better this way…the world is better off without me)_

 

__

 

_(voices)_

He drifted slowly to consciousness.

“…blood loss…”  
“…too much…can’t stop it…”  
“…take him to a doctor…”  
“…risky…what do we do?”

_(who are you?)_

He drifted into the abyss and awakened some time later to the smell of something sweet and nostalgic. It reminded him of his childhood – a distant time when his innocence was still intact. He was sure he could see his parents, though they appeared to be walking away from him. The little boy in him cried for their attention. They couldn’t leave him again! He had to be with them! 

And yet there were those voices.

“…not much longer now…”  
“…without his permission…”  
“…must do it…why not?”

_(who are you?!)_

He passed into oblivion again.

When he opened his eyes, it was to darkness – or at least it seemed that way. He blinked slowly and forced his vision to focus on his surroundings, but it was hard to tell where he was.

_(heaven or hell? Where am I?)_

His body felt incredibly stiff, as if he was lying beneath a ton of bricks. He couldn’t even move his head even if he wanted to. Was he enclosed in something? Why was mobility so difficult? Why is it so fucking quiet anyway? The last he remembered was the chaos from the failed ambush including Kentaro’s smug face and…

_(I was shot. So I’m probably dead. That’s why I can’t move. I’ve been buried. That’s why I can’t move)_

He squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden realization; a pain and ache so powerful searing through him at the idea of this being his untimely demise. What a way to go down. What a shameful terrible way to end his life, all because he had wanted to make his friend happy. He sniffled as the tears burned his eyes and finally broke free to trail down his cheeks. This wasn’t the way he had hoped his life would end. This isn’t the way he had imagined his future. So yes, he wasn’t accepted by most of society, but so what? Where was the crime in wanting to live until old age? All he had ever truly wanted was to be happy, to live a life where he was loved and appreciated by someone for him and not simply for whatever _thing_ was living _inside_ of him. When he thought of Madara and his betrayal – of how much he had loved that man and would have willingly done anything for him until he realized that everything had been nothing but one big **lie** \- the tears fell harder until the act of breathing became difficult. He felt suffocated and wanted to scream out; to pound his fists against something, or to yell at God to give him a second chance to make things right. He couldn’t end this way! He just couldn’t! This wasn’t fair at all!

“Naruto?”

_(huh?)_

His lashes flew open at the gentle yet gruff voice to break through the oppressive silence. 

_(God? Is that you?)_

“Can you hear me, Naruto?”

_(yes…yes!)_

“Ye…yes,” he struggled to make his seemingly frozen lips to form the words. His voice sounded raw and unused. Just how long had he been trapped in this grave? “Yes,” he croaked a little louder. “I can hear you.”

“Good.” The voice sounded pleased. “I’m glad you’re still alive…though just barely.”

“Wha…what do you mean? I’m not dead?”

“Yet,” the voice explained gently. “You’re on the threshold of it. You’ve lost quite a lot of blood and to be honest, you should have died the moment you were shot a second time.”

Naruto couldn’t comprehend this bit of information. His mind was a whirlpool of conflicting thoughts. If he was supposed to be dead, then why wasn’t he dead already? Why was he still suffering and hanging on by a thread?

“It’s your willpower,” the voice continued as if reading his thoughts. “There’s a part of you that wishes to live, doesn’t it? A part of you that does not want to let go just yet, am I correct?”

Naruto, if he could have done so, would have nodded vigorously. He settled for a whispered ‘yes’ in agreement. 

“What if I said I could help you?”

_(what?)_

“I could let you live…but not as you did before.”

_(I don’t understand…)_

“You will be reborn, as a human, yet not. You will become immortal, Naruto. Death will no longer have its say over you unless you wish for it. I can make that happen if you want.”

_(Immortal!)_

His eyes widened. He immediately saw those two fine gentlemen in Madara’s presence; two men who were immortal as well. He could become just like them and finally learn the truth of what Madara planned.

_(and kill him with my bare hands)_

“All you have to do is say yes,” the voice continued softly as if seducing him. “Just say “yes”, and you can join us. Your world will look a little different, but it’s a small price to pay to finish up all you have planned. You will be ten…no…a hundred times stronger, and I will teach you all you need to know. So what say you, Uzumaki Naruto? Make your decision quickly for your time is running out.”

“Yes,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation. If immortality meant him having the opportunity to exact his revenge, then so be it. And if this voice was able to teach him how to become stronger, then all the better to exact his revenge on Madara and everything related to that son-of-a-bitch.

_(I can do anything…be anything…and I’ll make him pay!)_

“Then so be it,” the voice continued with a smile in it now. It seemed to come closer, for Naruto felt the warm breath against his skin, and a large, strong hand now resting upon his chest.

(what…what are you doing?)

He felt the cold stirrings of panic as the hand pressed a little harder against his flesh.

“This is going to hurt a little,” came the tender warning. “But it will be over quickly. Just take a deep breath and -”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA -!!”

__

“…AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Sasuke’s lashes flew open; the scream torn from the depths of him as he held his hands to his chest and sat up with haunted eyes as wide as saucers. Breathing heavily – as if he had just run for miles - he was drenched in sweat; his dark hair pressed against his forehead and cheeks and unaware he was crying until the taste of his tears was felt on his lips.

_(what…what was that? What the hell happened?!)_

He looked up and around his surroundings with growing panic; his heart still thudding painfully in his chest forcing him to look down quickly to be sure it was still there. Just what had that man (the voice) tried to do? If he wasn’t mistaken, it almost felt as if he was digging his fingers into Naruto’s chest to rip his heart out and –

“You are back, eh?” came the loud amused query to jerk him out of his frenzied thoughts. 

Gamakichi was peering at him, though he sat with his legs and arms crossed with his _katana_ at his side. His younger brother was snoozing off beside him with a light snore. Dark shadows were created by their massive frames, and beyond them Sasuke could see that the sun was just about to set in the horizon. Just how long had he been gone?  

“It’s still the same day, if yer wondering,” Gamakichi explained. “Time goes pretty slowly over here when you’re in there.” He pointed toward the pool of oil where the great sage still sat in serene silence. 

Wiping the tears from his face quickly (he was aghast to find his hands were still trembling), Sasuke tried to gather himself as best he could.

 _But how can I?_ he thought miserably as he stared at his wet hands. _I’ve just experienced a few months in Naruto’s life, and I feel as if I’ve already aged a lifetime. How can anyone wish to live after experiencing all of that? He has no idea how strong he really is to be able to deal with all that and still wish to live._

His throat tightened and he felt the ridiculous urge to burst into tears. It was almost the same way he had felt when he learned of Itachi’s passing from Kakashi; of how numb and yet _hurt_ he had been at the knowledge he’d never see his beloved brother again. He had been too young to fully comprehend the death of his parents, so all the pain he had ever known and felt had come with Itachi leaving him so abruptly. 

_And now…_

“Oh God. What am I going to do?” he moaned and raised his knees to his chest to bury his face against them. Hadn’t the great sage warned him about this? What had he assumed would happen with his thoughtless request? That his need to _know_ more about Naruto would expose such raw emotions in a way he never thought possible? How could he look into those blue eyes now without revealing all he had learned or want to profusely apologize for what his ancestor had done to him?

Speaking of which…just what happened to Madara anyway? What had become of the man who had stolen Naruto’s heart and trampled all over it? 

_No wonder he can’t stand me…or anyone by the name of Uchiha probably,_ Sasuke thought with a bitter smile, though he couldn’t ignore the tiny ache within him as he remembered those intimate moments shared between the lovers. He told himself he was foolish to feel that way, for whatever feelings Naruto might have harbored for Madara were long gone. There was really no need to feel envious, and besides it wasn’t as if the current Naruto was eager to get into any kind of a relationship of that nature. 

_(and I’m not seeking it either. I just wish to be a friend and that’s it)_

Still there were so many more questions to be answered. What happened to Hashirama and Tobirama? If they were immortals, they ought to still be alive today, but since no one had mentioned them so far, did they die in a battle? And if so…how? Who was watching Naruto that day in Edo? Was it Kakashi? Or Jiraiya? Or someone different altogether? If it was Kakashi or Jiraiya, had they known Naruto would be in that city? Was it their plan to make him immortal anyway? Were they a part of the Senju who wished to use Naruto for their selfish purposes? 

“You have peered into the life of another,” came the sudden quiet yet sonorous voice to break his reverie. 

Sasuke looked up with a start. He had almost forgotten he was still in the presence of the great sage. He rose to his knees and remained in the respectful position; trembling hands forming tight fists on his lap as he bit hard on his lower lip. This was his time of reckoning. 

“And you have come to a decision, yes?” the sage asked as he opened his eyes slowly to stare at the boy below him. 

Sasuke stared at the ground for a long moment.

His decision. What decision? The sage must have known. Even Gamakichi and Gamatatsu must have known, for both frogs were now alert and studying him in silence as well. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and in his mind’s eye he could see that pained cerulean gaze staring back at him beyond a cracked mirror…waiting…hoping…

_(my decision…)_

He lifted his lashes and looked up at the sage with a determined expression on his visage, and in a voice that was as clear and as strong as it’s ever been, Uchiha Sasuke made his vow.

__

 

**One Week Later**

Yet again, he awakened at an ungodly hour.

He tried to convince himself that he had nothing to worry about, that tonight would be the night he’d be able to sleep for more than a few hours and get the rest he deserved; that he need not worry about the kid he had dumped at the foot of the temple to fend for himself. Yet he would fling the blanket off him with a muffled curse, dress quickly, and allow his feet to lead him to the edge of the forest. From there, he would shyly peek through the trees (as if afraid to get caught) for a sign of the kid either taking a break or dead from exhaustion. However, he never seemed to get the timing right, for either he came too early or too late, so he never got a chance to see Sasuke in person.

The only sign that the boy was doing as told was the telltale pile of rocks Sasuke would leave every time he completed his back and forth journey. At Naruto’s last count, there were ten rocks lined neatly in a row. He couldn’t believe it. If he did the math, it would mean that Sasuke had actually made the trip twice in one day at least two times. Just what the hell did the frogs up there do for him? Were they treating him much better than they had when he had done the challenge? 

_Well, he does have those pills Sakura made, so that’s probably giving him the extra energy,_ he deduced with reluctant envy. Ah, if only she had been around back then, maybe it wouldn’t have seemed like torture to him.

Speaking of Sakura, she had visited during the week to find out how things were going and to keep him abreast of the situation at SWAT.

“The Hyūgas finally got custody of Neji and Hinata,” she informed him while sucking on a lollipop as they sat side-by-side on the narrow bridge overlooking a breathtaking lake. “It wasn’t a pretty sight at the trial, but they at least signed the agreement that they would no longer participate in capturing Sasuke. Good, eh?”

Naruto scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Big deal. How’s Neji?” Not that he ought to be concerned about the asshole that tried to kill him. 

“He’s at about 80%,” Sakura replied. “He’ll be walking with crutches for a while, and Hinata didn’t take too much damage. She just has a few bruises, but she’s fine too.” She eyed him with a smile. “Weren’t you two dating at one time?”

“Nope,” Naruto denied quickly. “We were fuck buddies, but that’s about it.”

“Eew.”

“What?”

“Fuck buddies. Why do you have to make it sound so crude?”

“We were only having sex to fulfil a basic human need,” Naruto explained with a mock look of agony. “It was a mutual agreement, and we broke up when she realized she couldn’t continue without wanting a ring on her finger.”

“In other words, you dumped her.”

“I had to. She was becoming too clingy.”

“You can be such an asshole, Naruto.”

“I dumped her nicely…and gave her flowers.”

Sakura shook her head and jabbed his elbow playfully. “Anyway, back to the serious side of things…the shape shifter.”

Naruto frowned. “The Temari look-a-like?”

Sakura nodded; her expression pensive. “By the time the cleaners got it to SWAT, it had morphed into a blob of white mass – almost a doughy substance at the touch. It was taken to the lab to be studied, and it provided no real answers. Whatever that is, it seems to be a product of millions of dead plant cells.”

“Dead plant cells? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know, right? We couldn’t figure it out either, and Tsunade-sama’s been out of her mind with worry. She’s putting the spirit warriors on high alert. If this one was able to fool us easily, there could be many more out there. No one is really sure who could be responsible for it, but she and Jiraiya-sama aren’t taking any chances. They are trying to narrow it down to a possible spirit warrior capable of creating such a thing or summoning Malevolents.”

She looked at Naruto thoughtfully. “She mentioned something about you being able to sense them easily; that you should be able to know who the real people are and who aren’t. Your affinity with the _biju_ should help, shouldn’t it?”

Naruto was already shaking his head. “It’s been a long time since I accessed that skill. In fact, I think I only used it once and that was decades and decades ago.”

“Maybe it’s like riding a bike. Once you try it again, it will probably come back to you. Perhaps you just need the extra concentration, and I can’t think of a better place to practice it than here…” She waved her arm around their surroundings. “I’m sure the frog sages will be willing to help.”

“Perhaps,” Naruto replied quietly; his gaze distant and distracted. “Though I doubt it will do any good. Besides, if they felt it was important I honed that skill, they would have nagged me to death about it the moment I stepped foot here. Even Jiraiya would have said something. I’m thinking they don’t believe I’ll be of much help anyway.”

She looked disappointed at those words, but decided not to pursue the issue any further, which was a good thing for Naruto was beginning to feel the pressure of having to do something he wasn’t sure he was ready to perform just yet. It wasn’t unlikely that they’d come bugging him again with this new threat, but until then…he had a student to deal with.

He slipped out of his hiding spot to wait at the foot of the steps, but after an hour of waiting, he became restless and began to pace in growing agitation. This was the supposed to be the last day, or had Sasuke forgotten and chosen to remain up there for the rest of his life? 

_If he’s not down here by the end of the day, then I’m going up there,_ Naruto decided with a firm nod. It would be easy to get up to the temple with his speed now, so that was no problem. 

By midday, his stomach was growling. He peered up at the never ending steps and sighed. He might as well grab something to eat and return in a bit, besides, it would give him more time to think of what to say to Sasuke when he returned.

“Well done,” he muttered out loud, and shook his head as he thought it sounded too lame. “Or how about…great job! You did much better than I expected.” Was that belittling the kid? He frowned and tried to remember what Jiraiya had said to him when he was through.

_(ice cream)_

_Huh?_

His brows knitted in confusion at the seemingly random image, but it all clicked into place soon enough. Jiraiya had been waiting for him with the most refreshing sight in the world; an ice cream and the biggest, cheesiest grin in history. Naruto had tried to remain pissed off while covered with sweat and stinking to high heaven, but how could he stay mad at the guy with the tantalizing treat? It was safe to say that ice cream had never tasted that good before or after that day. 

“Except I don’t know where the hell to get an ice cream from,” Naruto muttered as he sunk his teeth into the fresh apple he plucked from one of the many fruit trees within the forest. There weren’t exactly vending machines around here, so unless it meant having to go all the way back to the human realm just to buy some ice cream and return, it was pointless. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and then eyed the fruit. Of course! Why not? The kid must have been living on only those pills (and if he was lucky some water from the frogs), but he wouldn’t hate fresh fruit, would he?

Feeling good about his decision, Naruto got a few more apples; found a couple of oranges, and bananas, which he washed carefully in the river to make a miniature fruit basket. Only the basket was the top shirt he had taken off to wrap them in. He made his way back to the temple and sat down to wait again. His plan of action once Sasuke returned was going to be simple; praise the kid for a job well done, offer him the fruit, escort him back to the village where he could get some rest and then they could begin the next phase of their training. 

However, the lull of weariness began to attack an hour into his vigil. He hadn’t slept much last night, and with all the fruit he had gorged on, his lashes began to get heavier until he could keep it up no longer. 

He hardly even felt himself finally drifting off to sleep, where his dreams were a blissful shade of gray and nothing else mattered.

__

 

They say the last few steps at the end of any challenge are always the hardest, and that saying couldn’t be any more appropriate at this time.

Sasuke didn’t bother running. He was exhausted beyond his imagination, and yet even he could tell that a change had already occurred within and without him. Gamakichi and Gamatatsu had noticed as well, and offered a rare praise when he showed up earlier at the temple for his final lap.

“He looks much different now,” Gamatatsu observed with a chuckle. “Don’t he, big brother?”

Gamakichi nodded in reluctant admiration. “Lost some of that baby weight already – more muscle tone and stronger looking. You should check out yourself in there, boy.”

‘In there’ had been a hallway full of mirrors as high as the ceiling. Looking into them made you feel incredibly small, yet what he seen had left him speechless for almost a full minute. He looked leaner – not particularly skinny despite not having proper nutrition – and toned in the right places. Though he had gone shirtless at times, his flesh still didn’t seem to enjoy the sun’s rays and instead of developing a tan, he had a few burns to show for his efforts. He was sure those frogs had done their best to heal him especially on the days he’d simply collapse when he got to the temple and he’d awaken feeling much more refreshed and less achy all over. 

They hardly encouraged him verbally, but would quietly go about their business or make him sit still for several hours to meditate after he rested. Still, it was a good exercise for it gave him the opportunity to commune with his surroundings, to allow mind and body to become one, and to erase all troubling thoughts, especially those he tended to have at night. His dreams were still filled with Naruto’s story; the most recent involving him actually walking down the streets of Edo side-by-side with the blond. It could almost be considered pleasant until a sudden cloud of darkness would fill the sky and Madara would appear to take Naruto away from him in the most brutal fashion. Last time, the long-haired man had actually beheaded Naruto in his presence; a dream that had caused him to wake up with a low cry of anguish.

Physique aside, his facial features had also changed a little. It wasn’t as if he smiled a lot anyway, but there was an expression etched there now, which spoke of incredible pain and hardships. Sasuke knew it was probably all due to his experiences with Naruto, and the shared emotional connection between them. It was in his eyes and now carved deeply within his heart, mind and soul. There was no way Naruto wouldn’t realize something had happened, no matter how excellent his non-existing acting skills were.

 _I’ll just have to tell him the truth then,_ he thought as he came to the final steps…and froze in mid-stride at the sight before him. 

“Na…Naruto?” he gasped breathlessly; unaware of the trembling hand raised to his chest as he felt his heart beat a little faster and harder, which nearly made his knees weaken. 

It was one thing to live the life of the man, but seeing him again in the flesh after all he experienced made it seem even more real (or surreal). He took a tentative step forward, a torrent of thoughts and words eager to slip past his lips as he studied the sleeping figure with a longing he wasn’t even going to bother trying to explain. 

_There’s so much I want to say…but where can I begin?_

He finally noticed the fruit wrapped in Naruto’s shirt, and much to his embarrassment, Sasuke felt his heart swell with emotion at the simple yet poignant gesture. He shook his head rapidly and composed himself, before quietly sitting beside his weary mentor to help himself to an apple despite how long it had probably been sitting out here. The juices upon his tongue almost made him moan with pleasure, for nothing had ever tasted so good before and probably never will.

_(thank you…)_

He took the time to watch Naruto again as if hoping to memorize this moment for posterity. He has seen Naruto sleeping before, so this was nothing new. However, something about it now seemed different, and Sasuke knew why. Before he could control himself, he reached out to brush away the tendrils of yellow hair that flirted dangerously with the parted lips. Curious fingertips did not stop there, however, for they began to tuck the strands behind his ear…before tracing the outlines of those whiskers which had brought him so much pain. 

_If I could kiss them I would,_ he began to think, but promptly slapped himself mentally for his errant thoughts and pulled away quickly. Just in time too, for Naruto was beginning to stir and Sasuke moved even further away so as not to give the older man the wrong idea. He kept his features as neutral as possible when those familiar blue eyes were slowly revealed.

“Enjoy your nap?” Sasuke asked with a small smile as he held up the last apple before sinking his teeth into it. 

Naruto blinked the sleep away and sat up quickly. Though it was twilight, it wasn’t hard to miss the flush of color to come to his cheeks at being caught in such a situation. Not exactly the welcome he had planned, but at least the kid had finished most of the fruit and seemed to be enjoying himself.

_(and looks different too)_

He met the dark eyes that seemed to be studying him, before they were lowered quickly. Could be his imagination, but there was something more ‘adult’ about the kid – as if his human age of sixteen was nothing more than a shell for a more seasoned grown-up inside. Brushing aside his concern, he rose to his feet and stretched his arms above his head with a loud yawn.

“So? How do you feel now that you’ve completed phase one of your training?”

Sasuke swallowed and nodded firmly. “I can tell the difference. I already feel much faster. Guess we’ll have to see just how fast tomorrow.”

“I’ll give you a couple of days to rest,” Naruto replied with a small smile. “You’ve far exceeded my expectations anyway, so there’s hope for you yet.”

The boy warmed at the praise, but said nothing. He still couldn’t get himself to fully look into Naruto’s eyes, and Naruto was now more puzzled than ever. Just what the hell happened up there?

“Did you hear your prophecy?” he asked. “Not that I want you to tell me what it is, but…”

Sasuke’s lips tightened and he shook his head. “It wasn’t anything important.” He shrugged lightly. “It was just your usual.”

 _Why am I lying?_ His mind screamed. _Didn’t I say I would tell him the truth?_

“They didn’t give you a hard time up there, did they?” Naruto queried with a raised brow. There was something not right about the kid. He was definitely sure now. 

“It’s fine,” Sasuke suddenly snapped impatiently, surprising them both at his tone. “I’m just tired and want to rest like you suggested.” 

He rose to his feet unsteadily and tried to lead the way back to the village, when a strong hand on his wrist froze him in place. He looked over his shoulder and into the visage of a man who was not about to take “no” for an answer, and for the second time since he met the man, Sasuke felt a cold fear at just how dangerous Naruto could truly be when upset. 

“What happened up there?” came the quiet words. 

“It doesn’t matter. Let me go.”

“Not until you start talking. You’re hiding something from me.”

“It’s my prophecy, isn’t it?” Sasuke sneered. “Why are you butting into my affairs now?”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed and his grip tightened, but Sasuke refused to cry out in pain. He now met the blue eyes directly, his jaw squared with stubborn determination. 

_Let him see. Let him see everything. I don’t give a fuck anymore._

_(someone’s been interfering with your past)_ Kurama taunted from within _(someone’s been poking his head into things that are not of his concern)_

“What…did…you…do?” Naruto asked through clenched teeth.

Sasuke said nothing, and this snapped Naruto’s last restraint of self-control. His eyes flashed a dangerous hint of red as he roared angrily. “What the fuck did you do?!”

“I chose to do it!” Sasuke finally yelled back in frustration. “I wanted to see it -!”

_(I will bear your wrath)_

“You had no right!”

“…it’s the only way I could know…!”

_(even if it hurts to know you’ll hate me)_

“You had no fucking right, Sasuke!”

“…I had to know -!”

“God, you Uchiha are all the same,” came the cold bitter words that was more effective than any dagger stabbed into his heart. “You never change. No matter who I encounter in any generation, you all have to do one thing or another to fuck me over.”

Sasuke couldn’t speak; the loathing and disgust on that face, and in that voice, was more than he could bear. When Naruto finally released him, it was as if he had touched something filthy.

_(I’ll bear your wrath even if it hurts…and God does it hurt)_

“You have twenty-four hours to rest up,” Naruto snapped as he turned his back on the boy. “The next time we meet, it’s going to be at the pavilion – ask Shima-sama the directions. I’ll be waiting for you there where we’ll begin your next phase of training. Come at me as you would a stranger, as if we had never met. From now on we’re only student and teacher – do as I say, don’t even fucking argue with me, and I won’t have the urge to kill you for your stupidity. Is that clear?”

For a moment nothing was heard except the rustle of the wind through the trees, until a barely audible “yes” was heard behind him. That was enough for Naruto anyway.

“Good. Try and find your way back to the village,” he ordered dismissively. “I’m going to take a long walk.”

And with that, he leapt away from sight, leaving nothing behind but the desolate sounds of a breaking heart. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	10. Olive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hereby apologize for any and all typos you might notice. It’s almost three in the morning – just got off work – rushed straight to the computer to finish this because it feels like forever since I updated. Oy. Anyhoo, thanks to those kind folks who take the time to leave a comment. It means a lot. Enjoy (the angst). *smooches and trudges off to sleep for a week*
> 
> * * *

The pavilion was a wonder of Nature’s architecture – a natural amphitheater where ancient and moss-covered gray statues of tailless amphibians sat in silent judgment. They towered over likely participants, casting early morning shadows as the sun broke just over the horizon. 

For a while he remained standing in the middle of the arena, eyes closed, and sword unsheathed while trying to meditate in the blissful silence. He knew he was probably early – but then again, Naruto hadn’t given him any specific time to show up. His cold instructions had been all too clear yet vague. Be here or else.

_/You have twenty-four hours to rest up…/_

The longest twenty-four hours of his life.

He must have probably spent every waking second of those torturous hours going over their argument; dissecting every scene and wondering where things had gone so horribly wrong. Emotions varied from regret, to anger, to sullenness, to self-pity, and the cycle would repeat itself all over again until even Shima-sama had to knock him upside the head with a fan to get him to stop pouting.

“What’s the point of sulking?” she cried out with hands on her hips. “So you had a fight with him, big deal! We fight with him all the time and he still slinks his way back here anyway. If you show that you’re going to be such a baby over every little thing, he’ll never respect you. Now suck it up, apologize to him when you see him and move on. Life’s too short to sit around grumbling over your ill luck. You don’t need the wrinkles at this age, my dear.”

_(heh…wrinkles, eh?)_

He lifted his lashes slowly and took a deep breath.

Shima-sama was right. What was the point of moping? He would take her advice and try to apologize – if Naruto would let him – and let it go. He came here to train after all, not to worry about the disastrous results of a route he had (foolishly) chosen. 

_If this were a game,_ he thought with a cynical smile. _I’d be in the mother of all bad endings right about now._

 _But this isn’t a game,_ a much louder voice screamed from within. _You’ve got to stop thinking in those terms, Sasuke! Naruto is not some video game character you can maneuver to do your will. He’s flesh and blood, and his reactions to your actions are not going to be limited to a fake smile and instructions for you to press the ‘next’ button. This is reality, and you’ve got to deal with it in that fashion._

“I know that,” he hissed beneath his breath as he forced himself to concentrate and channel the chakra he’d need into his weapon. “I fucking know that!”

He charged toward an unseen enemy, swinging the _katana_ with a fluid grace, which would have made his older brother envious. For the next half-hour, he pared and feinted; stabbed, cut and thrust with vivid visions of _yōkai_ before him. He couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips as he felt the effects of his week-long training on those godforsaken steps. He felt like he was floating at times; his foot speed, so incredibly fast (and light), it was amazing. He discovered he could leap just a little higher, his hang-time in the air alarming if it didn’t leave him feeling like he was drowning in a pool of adrenaline. 

In time, the light tee-shirt he had chosen to wear became damp with his exertions, and he figured he’d stop using the _chidori_ for fear he’d drain himself of chakra before Naruto appeared.  

He stopped to catch his breath and twirled the weapon into the air before sliding it back into its sheath – or would have if something didn’t come flying toward him from behind. His periphery vision would be just enough to have him ducking out of the way and swinging the sword in defense, when he realized it was a familiar glowing ball of energy which had now buried itself into a stone structure several feet away. It mustn’t have been powerful enough, because the only damage was a section of charred cement.

He swirled around, heart thumping hard in his chest, to see his teacher perched silently on the tallest statue. For how long he had been there, Sasuke had no idea, but it was enough to have his features flushing for a whole other reason now. He wiped the sweat that threatened to enter into his eyes with his forearm and tried to look less flustered. He couldn’t tell if Naruto was still upset with him or not, but he got his answer when the blond promptly leapt off his perch to land before him – his expression a painful neutral.

“Good to see you’ve worked up a sweat,” he began brusquely as he paced away from the younger man. Dressed in his usual black – a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, which appeared to be lightweight and clung to his body like a second skin - he gave the appearance of complete intimidation and all-business, forcing Sasuke to hold back on whatever cheerful greeting he might have tried to conjure up.

“Also seems you’ve gotten a little better with your sword-fighting techniques. Saves me the trouble of having to teach you any of that. However there’s more to dealing with _yōkai_ than just swinging that thing around. What happens when you’ve got _yōkai_ who are long-range fighters and won’t stick around to be close enough to your sword and _chidori_?” 

Good point…and one that Sasuke didn’t really have an answer to. Perhaps he would have blurted out the _Amaterasu_ , but Naruto must have figured that out because he held up a hand to silence him. 

“ _Amaterasu_ , as you might have noticed, takes a toll on you. I doubt you want to go blind before your next birthday, so we’ll save that little trick for when the shit really hits the fan. Until then, you’re going to have to work on another technique your damn clan has in their arsenal.”

Sasuke did his best to ignore the insult - for he knew exactly where Naruto’s bitterness was coming from now - and nodded solemnly in agreement. He watched as Naruto crouched down to his haunches and began to draw out something on the ground with a jagged piece of chalk. It looked like a diagram of sorts – little circles with kanji written within all interconnected. 

“The first thing to do is figure out exactly what your natural affinity is for, though I’m sure it’s going to be obvious,” he muttered once he was done drawing. He dug into the pocket of his pants to whip out what looked like ordinary white paper. He held it out to Sasuke, who accepted it tentatively. “Channel a tiny bit of your chakra into it,” came the quiet instruction. Sasuke did as told, blinking in surprise as the paper immediately went up in flames and turned to ash.

“Fire,” Naruto stated flatly. “No surprise there.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that your clan has an affinity for fire…and so can manipulate that nature element into powerful fighting techniques.” He stared at the drawing below him. “Damn…now I have to go into all of this because it’s obvious neither Itachi nor Kakashi bothered teaching you.” He ran his fingers through his hair restlessly, before sighing and motioning for Sasuke to sit across him. 

“And you better listen,” he ordered irritably, “because I’m not going to repeat this crap again. Got it?”

 _Someone’s definitely not forgiven me yet,_ Sasuke thought with an inner groan as he obeyed the command. However, all thoughts of earning Naruto’s forgiveness would have to wait as for the next few hours he listened to Naruto’s (surprisingly clear) teachings about the Uchiha clan’s techniques and skills. The downside to this was that Naruto really couldn’t show examples of how they worked, and could only trust that Sasuke would figure them out eventually. 

“At least Itachi said all you had to do was focus, mold or knead an enormous amount of chakra inside of you, channel it toward your mouth and then expel it as if you’re going to vomit or something. The more chakra you’re able to mold, the bigger your fireball.”

“Did you ever see Madara use it?” came the blunt question that had Sasuke kicking himself inwardly (why did he have to ask that now?!) as he was met with an expression that seemed to be a cross between a scowl and surprise. Pity he couldn’t take it back now.

“I’m surprised you’re asking me that,” Naruto finally replied with a sneer. “Figuring you went rooting around my past, didn’t you find the answer?”

“I came back just as Jiraiya made you immortal. The only thing I know about Madara is that you lov…eh…had strong feelings for him,” he finished beneath his breath; the unwanted and rather painful memories of Naruto writhing and moaning in that man’s arms making him squirm a little. He couldn’t dare to look into that face he had been studying all morning now, and the diagram on the ground looked just a little more fascinating. 

Naruto made a low sound beneath his breath before replying tartly. “Yes, I did see him use it, and it’s not something I wish to recall ever again. Now let’s try to work on you figuring out this damn fire release thing. Up.”

_

 

If there was any space in the dictionary next to the word ‘humiliation’, Sasuke was sure his name ought to be next to it. His first pitiful attempt at expelling fire from his mouth had resulted in something akin to him choking out a cloud of smoke. His entire being had burned with embarrassment, and he fully expected Naruto to laugh at him. Fortunately, all he received from the blond was a shrug of shoulders and the order for him to try again. 

And try he did again…and again…and again…and again…and again…until his cheeks felt raw, his throat felt hot, and he was sure he was going to throw up.

“Take a breather,” Naruto finally ordered after several fruitless hours. “Your cheeks look like they’re about to start bleeding, and you’re going to pass out. Shima-sama left us some lunch.”

“Huh?”

“When you were so busy huffing and puffing over there, she stopped by to see how you were doing – or rather to make sure I hadn’t killed you yet.” Naruto rolled his eyes and motioned toward the large basket sitting on the ground several feet from their training area. 

Sasuke almost moaned in gratitude at the sight and smell of something edible. He staggered toward the meal and collapsed next to it, trembling hands reaching for the large bento to dig into it hungrily. Though he had always doubted Shima-sama’s choice of ingredients, he was too hungry to be picky and he was nearly through with his meal before he realized he was being studied.

Naruto wasn’t quick to look away as the dark eyes met his. He shook his head and continued to eat quietly, ignoring the rush of color to the boy’s cheeks.

There was a moment of awkward silence, broken only by the sounds of chirping birds, the distant – yet soothing – sound of the waterfall, and chopsticks smacking lightly against teeth. Sasuke’s lunch was almost finished, and as he stared morosely into the box, debating on whether or not to keep practicing his fire release or to –

“For what it’s worth…your father sucked at it in the beginning,” Naruto finally blurted out with a light cough. Sasuke’s head shot up, eyes widening at this nugget of information. Naruto wasn’t looking at him as he continued quietly. 

“He struggled for a while, and your grandfather was a pain in the ass…gave him hell for not being able to do it as fast as the others.”

“Rea…really?”

“Yep.” Naruto paused with the chopsticks in his mouth; eyes narrowed as he tried to recall something. He wondered if it was prudent to tell the kid about his Dad being a crybaby, but figured it wasn’t exactly something Fugaku would have wanted his children to know. That man had enough pride to last ten generations. “But he kept at it…no matter how long it took and he eventually figured it out.” He shrugged lightly. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to feel discouraged about not being able to do it now. If you could manage to use the _Amaterasu_ and _chidori_ already, this should be a cinch.”

“Ah...” There was that damn heart skipping thing again whenever this man encouraged him. “Than…” he began in a whisper, but was interrupted when Naruto rose to his feet abruptly.

“You finished with that?”

“What?”

“Hurry with your meal. It’s _taijutsu_ time.”

Sasuke blinked in confusion. “Wha…what?”

“Hand-to-hand combat,” Naruto explained with a frown. “You didn’t think you’d only get to deal with the supernatural elements, did you? Some _yōkai_ can be pretty pesky up close and personal, and you might not always have that sword with you. Come on. The day’s a-wasting.”

“I took karate,” Sasuke began as he jogged after the striding blond. He would have asked that they at least rest for a few minutes to let the food they ate digest, but he doubted Naruto was going to listen to him. 

“So what?” came the retort. “Anyone can take karate and act like they know what they’re doing. So come at me. Show me what you can do…whoa!”

Sasuke had struck with a speed, which Naruto had to reluctantly admit was pretty damn impressive. The kick would have scored a direct hit with the side of his head, if his quicker reflexes hadn’t set in to block the surprise attack. Not deterred, Sasuke lowered his leg and swung again; nearly leaping off the ground in a technique that brought a smirk to his teacher’s features and a matching one on his student’s as – this time – Naruto’s left shoulder was the victim. 

“Lucky strike,” Naruto grunted and returned the favor with an outstretched swipe to Sasuke’s lower legs, which should have toppled the boy to the ground, if the astute brat hadn’t done a neat backflip to escape, but only to return with a roundhouse kick that was again blocked by a strong pair of arms.  
Sasuke mimicked Naruto’s attempt at a sweep down, and almost got tackled to the ground as those arms caught his waist and tried to hoist him over into a fireman’s lift. 

“Fuck,” he growled in frustration at the stalemate position; trying to ignore the warm breathing against his sweat-slicked neck, or the pressure of the older man’s body against his. He knew it was the most terrible time to be reminded of just what his _sensei_ looked like naked, or how he tended to sound while in the throes of passion, but he couldn’t help it. With the way they were both breathing heavily from their sparring…

 _Please let me go,_ he begged feverishly as he strained against Naruto’s grip; desperately trying to get the leverage he needed to topple the other man down. _You are not helping matters at all. I can’t…I don’t know how much longer I can…_

“Go, Sasuke-kun!” came the sudden loud cheer from above them. Both men looked up in surprise and sure enough, Shima-sama and her husband – as well as a few other residents of the village – were watching the match with acute interest. 

Feeling his features get hot with embarrassment at their audience, his brief lack of concentration was enough to have Naruto whispering a husky “got you” into his ear before tightening his grip, hoisting Sasuke above him and throwing him to the ground, though not hard enough to break anything. He added insult to injury by holding onto Sasuke’s arm against his chest and pinning the other to the ground with a foot; lips curved in a smirk as victorious blues clashed with exasperated obsidians. 

“I win,” Naruto announced unnecessarily as he finally released the boy. “Let this be  yet another lesson for you. Never lose concentration…no matter what.”

“Booooo!” came the jeers from behind them, which had Naruto whirling around with a pout.

“Why aren’t you cheering for me? I’m the one who…!”

“Shut up! We’re cheering for Sasuke-kun because he’s nicer than you!” one of the other female frogs in the audience interrupted. She even had a sign with Sasuke’s name on it (and lots of hearts) for good measure.

“And cuter too!” another one piped in.

Naruto growled and stomped after the adoring peanut section to playfully chase them off, leaving Sasuke behind to watch the scene with a small smile as he rubbed his aching wrist. It wasn’t bad to lose every once in a while, but he’d be damned if he was going to allow it to happen again.

__

 

He struggled to hold onto those feelings of righteous anger and betrayal. 

Yet every time he found himself in the presence of the kid, every time he watched those dark eyes flash with determination or lose its luster with weariness, every time he noticed the growing ‘scars’ from their countless hours sparring, and every time the boy would be dead on his feet, but would still argue that he could go for one more round despite the aches and pains - his reluctant admiration grew stronger and stronger.

He would never tell Sasuke that he was more than aware of his midnight meanderings; of him sneaking off to the pavilion or lake to practice his fire breathing skills  until he had simply no more to give. He would not question the two large tapes stuck on his cheeks (thanks to Shima-sama’s treatments) every morning, but would simply pretend as if they weren’t there as they’d go straight into warm-ups and then training. 

Several weeks of this, and the kid was already able to do a decent-sized fire ball release; an event that brought the biggest smile to Sasuke’s face as he waited for Naruto’s sign of approval. And what could he say besides smile in return and give him a thumbs-up? 

_What would Itachi say?_

But then again, Itachi had been a freak of nature since he had learned the skill in less than three days. Fugaku had taken a couple of months to get the hang of it, and yet here was Sasuke giving his brother a run for his money. So it wasn’t quite as powerful yet, but it was bound to be good enough to fight with any possible _yōkai_ they might face. 

_And besides, I really need to stop recalling that damn smile of his,_ Naruto thought with dismay as he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He had never seen Sasuke look that pleased with himself, and he hated having the kid try to ‘thank’ him for anything. It was embarrassing.

_And what was that “I’m sorry” thing about anyway?_

But of course he knew exactly _what_ it was all about, and that was the reason why he was now finding it even more difficult to maintain his annoyance at Sasuke’s decision to go poking into his life. It was a major violation of privacy, and yet it was ironic considering the kid had found a way to _see_ Kurama for the first time. 

_Still, it was **my** life he went snooping into. I didn’t ask him to go that far. All he had to do was ask and…and…_

_(you probably wouldn’t have told him anyway)_

He cracked open an eye as he heard the loud cry from the river where Sasuke was washing up after another particularly hard day of training. One of the playful monkeys had jumped in to begin splashing water on the surprised teenager, who retaliated by splashing back with mock sounds of anger. For a moment, Naruto watched the scene with a dull pang in his chest. He tried to recall the last time he had truly been so carefree, and was aware that it was probably the year before his whole life took a twisted turn with Hiromi-san’s gang of thieves and meeting Madara for the first time. 

_The same age,_ he thought ruefully. _I was already an ‘adult’, Sasuke, but I guess you know that sordid detail of my life now. So why…?_

_(why hasn’t your attitude changed about me yet? Don’t you consider me filthy and unfit to be your teacher?)_

It was humiliating to know that Sasuke had observed such intimate details of a life he would have rather kept secret. However, Naruto had ‘seen’ it, the rather aggravating wisdom and understanding in that kid’s eyes whenever their gazes met. It wasn’t pity – for that would have been the worst – it was just ‘something’ intangible, something he couldn’t put his finger on, something that was probably beyond his comprehension and something he was going to choose not to explore any further. At least he was glad Sasuke hadn’t gone beyond his initiation into immortality, for all the things that happened since that day…

_(your attitude about me just might change then)_

Either way, he had made a promise to Tsunade-sama and her cohorts when it came to the kid. He really had no other obligation once they were finished here. Although a certain someone had thought otherwise.

“Stop being so mad at him all the time,” Sakura had chided during their phone conversation the other night. 

“What? Did he go crying to you?”

“No, he didn’t, but I can still sense it.”

“Hmph. I’m actually proud of myself,” he retorted. “I didn’t scream at him once all day.”

“Oh really? That’s nothing to brag about, Naruto. Besides, I’ll bet you don’t know a damn thing about him, do you?”

“What are you talking about? Of course I know stuff about him!”

“What’s his favorite food?”

“…how the fuck is that important?”

“What’s his favorite color?”

“…black?”

“Wrong! It’s blue. What’s the most recent music he’s been listening to?”

“…eh…pop…?”

“Wrong again! It’s alternative rock, and the band’s name is ‘The Rage Machine’. What’s his favorite movie?”

“Wait a minute! How the fuck do you know all of this anyway?!”

“Because we talked! And while you were busy sulking away, I was paying attention to his surroundings -”

“You mean being a nosey little bit-”

“Watch it now, Blondie,” she growled and then huffed. “The point is, you’ve spent all this time with him and  you’ve not made any attempt to get to know him better.”

“I’m still trying to figure out why that’s so important. It’s not as if we’re going to be together once this training thing is over.”

At the tell-tale silence at the other end of the line, Naruto sat up with a frown. “Sakura?” he called out slowly. “Please tell me that my stint with him ends after the training.”

“We’re supposed to protect him, aren’t we?” she asked in a coy voice. “Sooooo…”

“My ass! The deal was for us to be with him until he was strong enough to take care of himself, wasn’t it? Why does he need us to keep following him around?”

“We all saw how well he was able to control Kurama when you went berserk…!”

“So?!”

“So I think Tsunade-sama and the others are thinking it might be a good thing for the both of you to become partners -”

“Hell no!  I work alone!”

Sakura pretended to yawn. “Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard that one before. Look how well that’s gone for you over the years. Anyway, calm down and don’t freak out yet. I’m just guessing as to what she might be thinking, so don’t take my word for it. If you’re lucky maybe you’ll go back to being a solo hero or whatever. Either way, how is the training coming along? When do you think he’ll be ready?”

Still simmering over the idea of Sasuke tagging along with him in the future, Naruto almost missed the question before replying curtly. “He’s actually doing much better than I thought. He should probably be ready in a few days. Just have to do a simulation with some _yōkai_ to see how far he’s come.”

“Don’t conjure up the really bad ones,” Sakura warned with concern. 

“…”

“Naruto!”

“Fine then. I’ll go easy on him. Damn.”

He sighed and scratched at an arm absently. He would probably have to do the simulation next week, but it would mean transporting them out of the safe confines of Mount Myōboku and back into the ‘real’ world, so to speak. Though he wasn’t really worried about how well Sasuke would do even with _yōkai_ of average strength. He really hadn’t been kidding when he told Sakura about Sasuke’s progress. He was sure there were many who had doubted his teaching capabilities, and boy, would he love to shove their doubts in their faces now.

“Simulation?” Sasuke asked with a raised brow, when Naruto approached him on the topic during dinner. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll get your chance to fight with several generic _yōkai_ …probably up a hundred or more…don’t look so panicked,” he added quickly when he noticed the boy’s eyes lighting up. “These are going to be weak or average ones. So you should be able to handle them easily.”

“I’m not worried,” came the quiet reply, as lips quirked up in a small smile. “Actually, I’m glad I get to finally deal with them even if it’s a simulation -”

“They’re real,” Naruto explained. “Don’t think it’s just some computer generated thing that gives you scores with each one you take down. You might get hurt.”

“Then I’ll just have to be extra careful, _sensei_ ,” Sasuke countered back, the smile now becoming a smirk that had Naruto shaking his head in reluctant approval. 

_(damn smart ass)_

_Get to know him better!_ Sakura’s voice suddenly screamed in his head, almost making him drop the chopsticks. 

Naruto blanched at the mental reprimand and dared to steal a glance at his companion. Sasuke was eating, but reading a book at the same time; something he had borrowed from Fukasaku’s extensive library. However, there was something a little different about the kid tonight, and it would take him a moment longer (damn he could be slow sometimes!) to realize that Sasuke wasn’t in his usual jeans and shirt or similar attire. Tonight, he was clad in a simple dark blue _yukata_ with a black sash to hold it in place, though it must not have been tied tightly enough because his torso was completely visible to anyone who cared to look, especially when he leaned forward and more of the clothing’s sleeves would droop off his shoulders. Naruto winced inwardly at the image, for he could suddenly picture the young man back in his era; that strong youthful body and handsome (borderline effeminate) features being the target of men twice his age. Add the delicious knowledge that the blood of the Uchiha ran through him, they would probably pay an arm and a leg to keep him as their personal plaything.

_(like how you were with Madara, right?)_

_Damn…I have to get out of here!_

“Is everything all right?” came the sudden quiet question, which had Naruto freezing in the process of dropping his bowl and bolting the room to get some fresh air. 

Sasuke was no longer reading, his curious dark eyes watching his teacher. The natural light made by the fireflies trapped in a wooden lantern, cast shadows upon his pale flesh, and as he sat up a little straighter, he wondered if he had done something to upset the older man without realizing it. Maybe reading a book at dinner was a no-no, but then again, this wasn’t the first time he had done it. Naruto didn’t seem to mind especially considering them sharing dinner together in Shima’s home was something they had just recently started. In the past, Naruto would have chosen to eat in his room, or skip dinner altogether, leaving Sasuke to keep himself company. So imagine his surprise (joy!) when Naruto showed up that first night to join him…and ever since then. They didn’t speak much to each other besides the usual good-natured complaint about Shima-sama’s cooking, and though Sasuke burned with a  million questions for his _sensei_ , Naruto was like a brick wall when it came to starting up conversation. He would simply have to wait until the blond was ready to break it down at his own time.

“Fine,” came the gruff response, as Naruto sighed inwardly in resignation and sat back down. 

“…okay…”

Sasuke was just about to go back to his book – which was a rather interesting folk story about rouge _ronin_ in the feudal era – when he was stumped into dumbfounded silence at the next question to escape the other man’s lips.

“Are you into men?”

 _What?!_ Sasuke’s mind screamed in growing panic.

_(does he know? does he **know**?! Has he guessed it? Finally?! Is he going to tell me to go fuck myself?! Do I have to make some kind of stupid confession to him?! Holy shit! This wasn’t in any game simulation I’ve ever had to play!)_

_The hell was that?!_ Naruto’s mind screamed. He had meant to ask about the BL games – Sakura had said he should know more about him right? – so why the hell had the question come out like that? Someone ought to put a gun in his mouth and shoot him now. It didn’t help that Sasuke looked as if he was about to experience a stroke. The kid’s face was turning so red – 

“Forget that,” Naruto blurted out. “It didn’t come out right.”

“I -”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“But -”

“It’s just those damn games you’ve got at your place, that’s all.”

 _Games?_ Sasuke blinked in confusion before it all finally clicked into place. 

“Oh…those.”

 _Why the fuck does he sound disappointed?_ Naruto wondered as the boy lowered his head and cleared his throat before looking up with a mildly sheepish expression.

“It’s a job…of sorts,” Sasuke replied. He played with the hem of his _yukata_ gently. “It’s a way to earn some money to keep me going.”

Naruto looked lost, and Sasuke must have seen it because he sighed and went into detail.

“Itachi was good at programming…computer programming that is, and he would sometimes do that for extra money to help pay the bills and feed us. I know that because he would spend a lot of time on the computer, and I’d see all these really weird symbols on the screen and the books he’d bring home to study. Sometimes he’d work late into the early hours of the morning…but why am I telling you this?  You should know this, right?”

It was Naruto’s turn to feel a little embarrassed. “I wasn’t with your brother as often as you think. I didn’t know what he did during his spare time, but enough about me. What’s this got to do with your fetish?”

“It’s not a fetish,” came the flustered retort. “It’s what I do to earn money. I told you!”

“And how?”

“Itachi had a friend who works in the video game industry…eh…in the adult entertainment or _hentai_ game industry,” he added in a smaller voice as if ashamed to admit this.

He failed to notice Naruto’s eyes lighting up at this information. 

“I used to remember him always trying to convince Itachi to invest in his business, but my brother would have nothing to do with it. Anyway, after Itachi passed away…he called me up one day out of the blue and asked if I was doing okay and all that. I told him I was, but I wasn’t…really. I was barely able to get by, and though I had a part-time job at a convenience store, it wasn’t enough to sustain me. So I come home from school one day and there’s a package at my front door. Inside is a BL video game and a note from him saying that his small company is in the process of branching into that line of business and would love to have a tester for their products, and would I be interested in it? They would pay me good money – and he had the fee written there which was ten times more than what I make at the convenience store – and all I had to do was play the games, see what could be improved and let them know.” Sasuke paused and looked up with a look of defiance in his eyes as if daring Naruto to judge him. “What would you have done if you were in my shoes? Wouldn’t you have said yes?”

“Hell yeah. If he was paying me, I wouldn’t mind,” came the blunt response, which had the boy stumped for a second. Damn Naruto and his honesty, but still he couldn’t help the small smile to come to his lips. 

“Good. You probably have your perverted reasons for taking the job, but mine was just for the money -”

“And that makes you any better? You’re like a whore…only for video games.”

Sasuke turned crimson. “I am not a whore!...for video games…okay maybe _some_ video games, but not all of them!” 

Naruto grinned. “So let’s see. You’re getting paid to watch naked men get it on… _cartoon_ naked men get it on.”

“Anime! There’s a difference. Cartoons are almost childish.”

“Well forgive me, you otaku.”

“I am not…!” Sasuke ran fingers through his hair in frustration and gave up. What was the use arguing with this man over the little things? 

“You do realize that because I’ve been stuck here, I’m losing quite a bit of money. He’s probably wondering where the fuck I went,” Sasuke mused with a purse of his lips. “The game you three happened to stumble upon was his latest. They’re actually selling quite well in the market, and believe it or not, most of their buyers are female. I guess girls like that sort of thing.”

“You should have seen Sakura’s face when she saw them. It was like she had hit the jackpot.” Naruto made a face and stuck out his tongue. “Now if you were playing the kind with big-boobed girls, we’d be in business.”

Sasuke studied the expression on the blond’s face before asking quietly. “You really would prefer _hentai_ games to _yaoi_?”

“ _Yaoi_?”

“The BL stuff.”

“Oh…sure. Why not?”

Sasuke captured his lower lip between his teeth, his heart now thudding just a little faster as he prayed that he wouldn’t get struck or ignored with his next question. “Are you…are you saying you’re no longer interested in men?”

“I never was,” Naruto replied after a moment’s pause. “When you were in my past, you didn’t see me cavorting around with any other men until I met Madara, did you?”

“But…I mean…”

Naruto sighed heavily. Guess he’d have to talk after all. 

“Madara took away my innocence, Sasuke. You must have felt how horrified and disgusted I was after that first time with him. However, as time went on…and he treated me as a human and ‘cared’ for me as he assumed I wanted to be cared for, I…eh…I developed feelings for him.” He laughed bitterly. “I was a needy little bastard, wasn’t I? Ready to jump into the arms of anyone who would show me an ounce of affection, and I believed Madara was the one for me. I gave my heart to him…this body…everything…and you saw what happened in the end. Bottom line? I’ve rarely slept with another man since then and if I can avoid it, I will. It’s not something I blatantly go around searching for, do you understand?”

Sasuke couldn’t trust himself to speak or look into those blue eyes that seemed to change hues with the flickering lights. What little hope he had was slowly being dashed, and it hurt like hell.

“And as for you,” Naruto continued, oblivious to the pain he was inflicting. “You’re at an age when you shouldn’t be so quick to assume you’re into men or not. I mean before those games came at your doorstep, you didn’t really know, did you?”

“I was too busy with school or mourning my brother,” came the somewhat bitter retort muttered beneath his breath. “I didn’t care either way.”

“So there you go. Then all of a sudden you’re bombarded with images and simulations of men enjoying being with each other, so you assume that it’s supposed to make you feel good, right? I wouldn’t rely too much on those things, besides, they’re not exactly accurate -”

“Your trysts with Madara seemed just about the same,” Sasuke grumbled. “It was sometimes hard to tell the difference.”

Naruto’s jaw worked. “What the fuck are you trying to say?”

“Nothing.”

“You want to experience being with a man that badly?” Naruto snapped impatiently. “Is that what you want?! Nights sitting in front of that damn computer has finally got you losing your fucking mind?”

Sasuke glared back with an anger he couldn’t explain, but who the hell was Naruto to tell him how to feel or not feel?!

“Yes! So what if it’s a video game? You’d be surprised at just how much you learn from them!”

“Oh really? You think you can learn life lessons from two _cartoon_ characters fucking each other in relationships that don’t make any sense?! The only reason they probably get together is just so you can earn a few extra points to get you to the next level! You think that’s how life is?! If you’re so desperate to find a fuck buddy, I’ll be glad to drop you off at Ni-chōme, and you can fuck the next pervert to strut up to youURGH!”

The blow, he had not seen coming, but it was enough to send him flying back against the wall and sending some of Shima-sama’s precious vases shattering at the impact. He held his aching jaw, his mouth already filling with blood, and was ready to retaliate, when he looked up to see the boy towering over him with his bruised fist clenched and ready to strike again. Unfortunately, the image was tarnished by the trembling body, the heaving chest and eyes that seemed just a little too bright.

_(great job, Naruto. Way to hurt the kid’s feelings again)_

“You’re angry,” Sasuke began in a voice that shook with the intensity of his feelings. “I know you’re angry. I know what Madara did to you was unforgiveable, and if I were in your shoes…what am I talking about? I **was** in your shoes, I’d be devastated at the betrayal. But you’ve had years…centuries to get over it, Naruto! And you can’t keep holding that against me! I am not the one you should be upset at! _I am not Madara!_ So stop comparing him to me in your head! And stop treating me as some kid either! I’m old enough to know who or what turns me on, and if it’s a couple of _cartoon_ men – as you so wonderfully put it – then so be it.” 

He stopped his rant long enough to catch his breath, but he apparently wasn’t done, for he continued, in a much quieter tone. “Besides…you don’t have to worry about me trying to latch on to you or express my undying love to you if that’s what you’re so concerned about. I know the only reason you came into my life was because of your superior’s orders, and you’re probably going to get rid of me when you feel I’m strong enough. So I’m going to help make the process faster. I promise to do my best at the simulation and then  you can give the report to your bosses. I only ask that when you feel I’ve passed, you at least tell me where Itachi’s body is, so I can pay my respects.” He gave a pained smile, which had something writhing hard in Naruto’s chest. “I might act like everything is okay, but I’ve never really gotten over the loss of the only person who meant the world to me. For months…no…the years after his death were the worst. You wouldn’t have recognized me then. At least knowing he died trying to protect me made it a little bearable, but still…you owe me that much.”

He finally stopped talking and almost shook himself a little as if coming out of a daze; perhaps realizing this was probably the longest he had ever said anything in his life. Without another word, he bent to pick his book and left the room, leaving Naruto to mull over the young man’s words and to question why that godforsaken ache in his chest hurt so much more than any physical blow the boy could have struck.

__

On the day of the simulation, the heavens finally burst open and poured its contents angrily upon the earth. Even the frogs had to agree they had never seen such a downpour in years. Was it possibly a sign of things to come? Needless to say, many made the trek to the temple just in case.

Shima and Fukasaku-sama were waiting at the summoning well, where Naruto and Sasuke jogged up – both drenched despite their layers of protective clothing.

“Have you chosen your location?” Fukasaku asked from beneath the comfort of an umbrella that was several sizes larger than he was. He was barely visible.

Naruto nodded and had to yell to make his voice heard just as the booming rumble of thunder echoed around them. “Togetsukyo Bridge!”

The sage frogs nodded solemnly and motioned for the two men to move closer to the well, but not before Shima-sama (while wiping a tear from her eye for she had grown quite fond of the young man) moved closer to give him a quick hug in farewell. It would have been comical, considering she was only as tall as his knee - if not shorter – but the warmth to exude from the embrace was enough to make him flush with gratitude. Though he had thanked them both the night before for their hospitality, he didn’t hesitate to do so again.

“You know you’re welcome back anytime. Just call on us if you ever need a place to get away from it all,” Shima-sama invited.

“Yes, yes, you said that a million times already,” Fukasaku chirped in impatiently. “It’s time for them to leave. Are you both ready?”

Sasuke, who had never experienced the effects first hand (for he was passed out the first time around), felt himself suddenly being pulled by an invisible force toward the well and dragged into it. His first wild thought was that he was going to drown, but there was that now familiar rushing sensation (just like when Sakura had teleported them) of speeding through a vacuum before tumbling out into the other side with an immediate wave of nausea hitting him. 

He coughed for a good long minute, while looking at his surroundings in surprise. They were no longer at Mount Myōboku, but the scene was still familiar all the same. It was the last place he had been with Naruto before their training began. 

“The train station…”

Which he was sure had crumbled to pieces thanks to Naruto’s _biju_ form, but it was now standing again – looking just as it must have been before the fight. There wasn’t much that could be done with the trees destroyed in the fire, but aside from those, everything else looked untouched and just as peaceful.  
  
Yet the air ‘smelled’ _different_. 

In Mount Myōboku, there was a sense of peace, serenity and pureness; something Sasuke had gotten used to over the past few months, but returning to the real world…it almost made him sick to his stomach. The air was thick with pollution and not just the man-made kind. It was in the permeation of the _yōkai_ in this place, and thanks to his time in that other surreal land, his body and mind had become more sensitive to the evil manifestations. He was suddenly distracted from his thoughts when he noticed the familiar shimmer of energy as a considerably large barrier was put up. He had never seen Naruto do one before, and the older man must have done it quickly because he was now on his haunches; his intense gaze trained on the muddy ground.  

“Give me a minute to summon them,” Naruto was saying, still having to raise his voice because of the pouring rain. “You might hear a sound like thunder, but it’s just them waking up from their slumber. These are the more dormant kinds…they don’t bother us much unless you go looking for them, but they need to be eliminated anyway.”

Sasuke nodded and stepped back, watching the broad back beneath the wet black trench coat with heaviness in his heart.

Things had definitely gotten ‘weird’ between them since his outburst that night.

Though it was only a few days ago, he had kept to himself, choosing to practice alone, and eating whenever he was sure Naruto wasn’t around. He knew he was being a coward, but he couldn’t help it. It was one thing to defeat your _sensei_ in a sparring match - and he had won his share of those during training - but a completely different thing to hit him out of anger and rant at him at the same time. It was a miracle Naruto hadn’t retaliated yet, but he guessed the ‘silence’ from the older man was punishment enough. The ironic thing? Naruto wasn’t particularly upset with him, neither was he pleased either. There was a stoic politeness in his demeanor, as if simply tolerating Sasuke’s presence for the sake of it. 

_It’s okay,_ Sasuke told himself as he took a deep breath and paced away to unsheathe his sword. _I’ll be fine. It’s better this way. That way we can say our goodbyes with no hard feelings…I guess._

_(keep telling yourself that, Uchiha Sasuke. Because you know damn well that you’re never going to-)_

“Ready?!” Naruto yelled without turning around. “I’m about to bring them out!”

Sasuke shook away his negative thoughts, took his stance and began to channel his _chidori_ into the sword. He could barely see in front of him – the rain really was that heavy – but goodness knew he’d have to manage somehow.

“Ready!” he bellowed back, and immediately wished he hadn’t, for once Naruto slammed his fist into the ground –

_Holy shit!_

_Yōkai_ – in all shapes, sizes, and forms (the most ugliest ones at that) seemed to burst out of the ground with a boom and into the air, some screeching horribly, while others seemed to want to attack immediately. There must have been at least two hundred of them and the smell… _oh God_ …the _stench_!

“Don’t let any get away!” Naruto instructed. “Get them all as quick as you can!”

“Right!”

He spun around with the _katana_ , unleashing a brilliant flare of lightning to match the ones from the heavens. It was perfect in a way, for it gave him even more power, sending at least fifty _yōkai_ disintegrating at once. He leapt away from a couple that came after him, unable to stop the smirk at how high he seemed to get off the ground, but only to spin in mid-air with another swing to take even more down. A particularly huge _yōkai_ approached, and Sasuke would dodge just in time to avoid the flood of black ink to escape its yawning mouth. Whatever the ink was, it must have been acidic, for it left huge craters on the earth below. 

_Mold the chakra within you…knead it…let it build…_

He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar heat forming in the pit of his stomach. He tried to give himself some distance, while judging how many _yōkai_ he could take down at the same time, and just when he felt he had enough chakra – 

**WHOOOOOOSH!**

…he let it rip with the biggest fireball he had created yet. Their dying screams were like music to his ears, but he knew he still had more to do. 

__

 

Naruto, for his part, watched the battle with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The kid was really putting on a show, and he had to admit…

“He’s a natural,” he whispered as Sasuke took out yet another group of them with another fire release. “And he’ll only get better and stronger…just like you predicted, Itachi.”

It was just a damn pity he had no plans to stick around to find out if it came true or not. The past few days had been spent pondering on the future, and his decision was one that had come with a tangible taste of bitterness on his tongue (and a heaviness he would not elaborate on). He figured he had done his best for the kid, and everything else was now up to Fate. 

_(and besides it really doesn’t matter if you’re able to curtail Kurama. What good does that do in the end? Your brother wanted no part in being my immortal babysitter, so what makes you any different?)_

And yet try as he might to ‘distance’ himself from these budding feelings of protectiveness (especially now whenever a _yōkai_ seemed too close for comfort and his first instinct was to run down there and help the kid), it was becoming tougher than he’d like. Looking back now, he realized that he could have answered Sakura’s question about just how much he ‘knew’ Sasuke, and none of them would have required asking direct questions. Just from watching and studying the boy these past few months, it wasn’t hard to pick up particular habits here and there. 

For instance, Sasuke’s ‘allergy’ to the sun. The kid couldn’t spend more than a few hours out there without his ‘fragile’ skin turning red in protest. And there was Sasuke’s innate curiosity; wanting to know about everything and anything as long as any of the frog sages was willing to tell him the answer. He was studious, that much was obvious, and Naruto could literally see those dark eyes soak in information – even during training – like a sponge. If he could dissect the kid’s brain, he was sure it would reveal gears spinning rapidly or something weird like that. Oh, did Sakura also know that Sasuke always curled up on his right side when asleep? It didn’t matter where they were, whenever they took a break, it was the same position every time. It was uncanny. Even more creepy was that when the kid slept deeply, he wouldn’t change position until he woke up.

(not that he had been studying Sasuke that intensely while he was asleep or anything)

Still there were moments when the ‘childish’ Sasuke would take a back seat and the more somber, serious, and thoughtful one would take its place. That Sasuke usually showed up on the few ‘off’ days or on nights when Naruto would go walking and notice the kid sitting by the window of his room, simply staring off into space. Those were the features of a young man who had witnessed a lot of pain and suffering in his life, and at the recollection of Sasuke’s admission of just how much Itachi’s death had affected him, it was yet another grim reminder of just how nefarious his family’s history was. 

_(he might not be Immortal, but he’s had to watch everyone he’s ever loved die. So he understands you more than you want him to, Naruto. Why make this choice now?)_

Naruto bit his lower lip at Kurama’s open taunt, but remained stubbornly silent. 

_(aaaah, could it be that you’re afraid after all? You just don’t want to have to experience all that you went through with dear Itachi?)_

He pressed his hand hard against his stomach.

_(you can be an asshole, Kurama, you know that? Just leave me alone!)_

He didn’t turn around when the other two landed beside him, but Sai’s low whistle was enough to create a warm glow of pride in his heart. Screw Kurama and his teasing.

“I don’t fucking believe it,” Sakura whispered in awe. “Just what did you do to him, Naruto? You can’t tell me you taught him all that.”

“I am the best teacher after all,” he bragged and earned a cuff on the head for that.

“He’s really improved,” Sai agreed. “ Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama are also watching from headquarters.”

“That’s right,” Sakura replied. “And they say if he does well here, they might ask him to stop by at S.WA.T. and become an official spirit warrior. Isn’t that exciting?!”

Naruto’s lips thinned, but he said nothing. Of course they’d want Sasuke to join the ranks (no surprise there) and when that happened…

_/I’m sorry, Naruto. I really am, but I choose not to become Immortal./_  
 _/I don’t get it, Itachi! You’ll be perfect! You’ll even become a much stronger warrior! Think about it!/_  
 _/I have…and I can’t. I can’t think of living on endlessly watching those I love die. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you, but I’m too much of a coward to choose the easy way out. If it’s my time, then it’s my time. Please don’t look at me that way. You know my feelings for you will never change./_  
 _/Shut the fuck up! You have no idea…!/_  
 _/I am not as strong as I can be for you, Naruto./_  
 _/You are…/_  
 _/I will always love you. You know that…/_  
 _/Don’t…/_  
 _/But I am a coward, so please…please forgive me…/_

“…ruto? Naruto!”

“What?!” he snapped back impatiently at Sakura’s scream into his ear. 

“He’s finished! He got them all,” she screeched happily, and before he could say anything, she was leaping down to run toward the exhausted young man, now covered in filth yet pleased enough at his result. Pity he almost got trampled to the ground at Sakura’s exuberant collision/hug.

“Congratulations, _sensei_ ,” Sai applauded quietly beside him. “You should be proud.”

Naruto shrugged and rose to his feet with an exaggerated yawn. “Guess my work here is done then. Tell me how the initiation ceremony went.”

“Where are you going?” Sai asked in bemusement. “Don’t you want to escort him to S.W.A.T to share in the good news?”

_(good news? What good news? He might be able to fend off a bunch of power-hungry clans, but besides that, his life is going to be one continuous battle after another. Guess Itachi had a point there after all.)_

“They are not going to be very happy with you if you just disappear again, Naruto,” Sai was saying quietly.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine without me,” came the distant reply. “With him around, and all the lessons he’s gonna learn from you folks…I’ll probably be forgotten eventually.”

Naruto sunk his hands into the pockets of his pants and stared down at the two figures below. Sakura was yapping excitedly at Sasuke while wiping his face with a handkerchief – a complete waste of time in his humble opinion since it was still raining – but the boy would eventually look up, the happiness still in his eyes until they met the cool blue ones watching him. His tentative smile faltered and he seemed to realize what Naruto was about to do, for he pushed Sakura way gently; his heart now pounding with fear, panic and dismay. 

_No…wait…please don’t go…not yet! Not like this! There’s still so much I want to say to  you!_

Naruto took a step back as if able to hear the boy’s pleas and not wanting any part of it. 

_Good job, Sasuke,_ he thought silently with a two fingered salute and a small bittersweet smile. _The next time we meet, it will be to honor the vow I made to you about your brother. Until then, be the best damn spirit warrior you can be._

_(and no matter what happens and for as long as you can manage it, please, please, **please** … **stay alive** )_

__

One minute he was there; the next he was gone.

For a moment, the trio could only stare at the place the blond spirit warrior had once stood, until Sakura broke the silence with a stomp of her foot in frustration.

“I don’t believe it!” she wailed. “Just where the hell did he run off to now?!”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Sai replied as he leapt down to join them. “He didn’t look particularly happy, so I’m not sure what must have happened between…” His voice trailed off as he glanced at Sasuke.

The boy’s head was now lowered; his fingers clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword. His hair lay slick and flat upon his head and cheeks, preventing the duo from seeing his eyes until he finally lifted it slowly to reveal an expression that had Sakura sucking in a breath.

_(oh Sasuke…)_

She couldn’t put a finger on it, but the luster was gone. The glow of happiness she had seen just moments earlier was no longer there. Those beautiful dark eyes now seemed devoid of emotion; a blank slate simply needing something to ignite another spark into them. She felt him withdrawing further into himself with every breath he took, and as he tightened his lips and finally sheathed his sword, she had a feeling that Sasuke had put up a barrier neither of them ever had a  hope of breaking anytime soon.

“So?” came the flat question as he looked at both Sakura and Sai. “I guess we head to this S.W.A.T. place, correct?”

“Ye…yes,” she stammered with a weak smile. “Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama are waiting for you. You just might become an official spirit world warrior. Pretty exciting, eh?”

He shrugged and pushed away the hair from his eyes. “If you say so. Look, can we get going already? I think I’m about to get a cold.”

Sakura was tempted to smart-mouth him back for his rude demand, but figured this was not the time to do so. She simply nodded and placed a hand upon his, wincing inwardly at just how cold he felt.

 _What the hell have you done to him, Naruto?_ she thought sadly as Sai moved in to close the circle. _You better get your ass back soon, or I swear I’ll hunt you down myself! Don’t you realize just how much he needs you?!_

For that answer couldn’t be clearer when she wrapped her arms around him; now convinced that the shiver to run through Sasuke had absolutely nothing to do with the cold. 

His silent tears were mingling with the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Slate

Hot. Humid. Blistering. He steamed and cursed beneath his breath, feet moving faster against simmering asphalt. He couldn’t even bear to look up, beads of sweat dripping into narrowed eyes from damp locks that clung to his forehead and cheeks. He loathed summer with a passion and longed for the cool safety of his humble abode. In there, he could at least begin thinking aga-

“Happy Birthday, Sasuke!”

_(what the- ?!)_

He froze at the doorway of his apartment, and struggled to make sense of the sight before him, while fantasies of spending the rest of the afternoon in nothing but a pair of shorts shattered abruptly. Sakura was at the forefront - still in her school uniform - but holding up a large colorful cake lit with sparkly candles. They flickered so brightly, it nearly overshadowed the grinning flushed visage above it. Behind her was Sai – in school wear as well – half-heartedly popping open the confetti while waving a ‘birthday’ flag wearily. It was clear someone hadn’t wanted to do this, but at least he made the effort to chirp out a “Happy Birthday, Sasuke”.

“Don’t just stand there,” Sakura invited with a laugh. “Come blow them out before it melts. Besides, you’re letting the heat in.”

“So this is why you disappeared after History today,” Sasuke muttered as he stepped inside, while taking off his shoes. He dumped his bag in the corner and fiddled with the neck tie, which felt like it was choking him. “I told you I hate surprises…and sweet things.” At least he stopped long enough to blow out the candles before walking past her and into his living room. 

“I remembered that,” Sakura replied and trotted after him. “This cake is special. It’s made with lots of sweeteners, so there’s no worry about your blood sugar shooting through the roof.”

“It’s not my blood sugar I’m worried about,” Sasuke stated with hands on his hips as he eyed the layout on the coffee table. She had really gone out of her way, hadn’t she? There was a _sukiyaki_ hot pot simmering on a mini-gas stove, and the delicious smells of beef, vegetables and tofu, tantalized his senses. Large bottles of his favorite beverages – none alcoholic since he was just turning seventeen after all – sat waiting for his consumption. He would have tried to dismiss it all, if his stomach didn’t decide growl, creating twin spots of colors on his cheeks as he met (and looked away from) the girl’s amused gaze.

“I skipped lunch,” he explained gruffly as he sat on a pillow and grabbed a bowl and chopsticks to dig in. 

At least _this_ was considerably far better than the last two birthdays he’d had. 

The next half-hour was spent feasting and chatting over trivial matters amidst the sounds of a rather entertaining afternoon talk-show featuring a teen pop-idol group Sakura admired. To be honest, she was the one who did most of the talking, while Sasuke responded wherever he felt necessary. Sai wasn’t much of a conversationalist either, but then again, after spending the last five months with these two, Sasuke had come to learn so much more about their personalities. 

Sakura, he knew, was as bubbly as she was voracious with her thirst for knowledge. To think that she was already as well-versed in the medical field as any of the ‘regular’ surgeons out there was outstanding. So you could ignore the fact that she was over a hundred in age, and that she’s had so much time to perfect her skills, it still didn’t deter from the idea that she had ‘died’ as a teenager and anyone looking at her now would be foolish to assume she was some dumb airhead. She was so smart; it was rather difficult for her to not reveal too much of it in school. She wouldn’t raise her hand during lectures, and if she was called upon to answer anything, it would take some self-control not to go overboard with her answers. Tests and exams were a cinch, and it was safe to say that she had acquired quite a few ‘enemies’ (read as jealous classmates) who felt she was a know-it-all. Not that she seemed to give a damn about their feelings. 

If Sakura was outgoing, then Sai was the exact opposite. His quiet demeanor did not betray that he was just as studious and hungry for knowledge like his counterpart. Sasuke had come to learn that Sai seemed to favor the quiet comfort of the school’s library, and on particularly slow days (as in no real crazy _yōkai_ activity), his nose would be buried in a book for hours on end or sketching incredible pieces of art worth being in a gallery. Sasuke had always thought his skin too pale, but Sai’s complexion took the top prize. The other man looked ghostly at times, especially when he chose to wear all black. He spoke only when he felt it prudent to do so, and Sasuke hated to admit that he found himself rather comfortable in Sai’s presence. Maybe it was because Sai had – somewhat – taken over Naruto’s role recently, and since his induction into S.W.A.T as an official member, Sai had become his ‘confidante’ of sorts.

_(an official spirit warrior, huh?)_

He swirled the noodles in his bowl absently, Sakura’s shriek of laughter at the antics on the television, barely registering in his mind. 

A lot had happened in the past few months; all starting from the night he was teleported to the impressive S.W.A.T headquarters (who knew the Kyoto National Museum was the façade for such a group in the first place?). He got to meet Tsunade-sama for the first time, having to shake off the mental image of some old, wizened woman at the sight of the busty blonde with the booming voice and matching personality. Jiraiya and Kakashi had been there as well, including several other high-ranking officials Sasuke couldn’t really be bothered to remember their names at the time. 

The next several weeks were spent in more ‘simulations’ with even stronger _yōkai_ , as well as intense mental challenges he was sure he could not handle. Being forced to recollect his past - to confront those fears and doubts and to gain strength from them - had made him angry and resentful. However, during quiet moments of meditation, he came to realize just how much ‘stronger’ it made him feel emotionally. He knew a part of his apathy and anger had come from the gnawing void he had felt when Naruto disappeared, but he was now determined not to let it weigh him down. For the answer was so painfully obvious now.

To bring back Naruto, he would have to become _stronger_ than ever before. 

He would have to shed the cloak of naivety and innocence, and take on the shield of resilience and tenacity. It was no time to sit around licking his wounds or whining over the blond’s decision. This was his time to grow up as a person, and so far Sai and Sakura had been his much-needed anchors of encouragement and support. They were wise not to bring up the topic of Naruto, seeming to understand his need to work out the situation on his own. 

His gaze drifted to the photograph of the three of them sitting on top of his television. It was the day after he had received his spirit world license, which consisted of an actual ID card, only visible to other spirit warriors (to normal humans, it looked like a piece of white plastic), and an invisible yet elaborate tattoo around his wrists. He had the option of getting the tattoos anywhere (and a part of him had wondered just where Naruto’s was), and he had chosen his wrist. However, the tattoo wasn’t just for show, and in addition to them being invisible to the naked eye, each symbol and marking represented a skill he had acquired so far. 

“When in battle,” Jiraiya had explained during the process. “The markings become more prominent and you can use them to increase your skills or to summon spiritual beings to help you fight.”

“Spiritual beings?”

“Yes. In a situation where you find yourself unable to combat the Malevolents effectively, you have the ability to summon creatures of the spirit world to help. For instance, if I’m ever stuck, I have quick access to the frog sages, same with Naruto. It could also work for you, since you’ve trained at Mount Myobōku, but if I know anything about the history of your clan, you have the ability to summon other creatures to do your bidding.”

“But what are these creatures?” Sasuke had demanded of the elusive leader, who seemed just as reluctant to reveal anything. Hell, it was a golden opportunity to suck out as much information as he could from Jiraiya whenever he came around, and Sasuke had tried to make the most of it. 

“We have an extensive library at SWAT,” came the cryptic reply. “Spend some time studying and perhaps something will come to you.”

Frustrated, yet aware that Jiraiya had set out a challenge, Sasuke had done just that. He couldn’t teleport yet, but whenever he had some time, he’d take the bus to the museum and scour through the thousands of books, documents, and scrolls searching for _anything_ that could give him an idea of what his clan’s summoning techniques or skills had been. So far, the results had left him unsatisfied. For all the supposed history of the Uchiha, it was hard to believe that S.W.A.T barely had anything other than general summaries of his ancestors. It was as if the Uchiha had done their best to protect their secrets from becoming public knowledge, and with the awareness that he was the ‘last’ of his clan, Sasuke’s aggravation and impatience teetered at breaking point. 

_(did Itachi have the ability to summon anything? And if so, what? Does Naruto know about it? He must have or maybe he didn’t, which is why he never mentioned anything during training.)_

However, when he wasn’t studying (or bogged down with questions), he was busy honing his other spirit warrior skills. He learned how to create stronger barriers with Sai – who proved to be a rather patient teacher. He sought out stronger _yōkai_ , not just to get better at his fighting techniques, but to earn more fees. The stones seemed to fetch a little more money than before, and Chiyo-baasama had to reluctantly agree that the quality of _yōkai_ he presented were getting better and better. 

In the midst of this, there was school to deal with (and to this day, he’d have no idea what Sakura had done to make them forgive his three month absence) and his BL game gig with a very impatient client. Oh, and let’s not forget that there were those who still wanted a piece of him – clans who hadn’t gotten the memo yet that he was no longer the meek Sasuke they had once known. 

“It’s still no time to relax,” Tsunade had warned. “These might be the weaker fighters coming for you, but it doesn’t mean that the much stronger clans have given up yet. You must always be on your guard. At least now they know you’re an official spirit warrior, they’d have to be extra careful. They wouldn’t want to break our laws by being so bold.”

Laws. Rules. Guidelines. Orders.

 _Damn._ It was like being in the police force without actually having to arrest anyone. 

“Aah,” Sakura suddenly cried out, forcing him back to the present. He could see her tattoo appearing, the same diamond-shaped marking on Tsunade-sama’s forehead. It wasn’t a brilliant green as it tended to become whenever she got really serious during their sparring matches (and boy, could she pack a mean punch!), but it was glowing all the same.

“Looks like I’m needed,” she said with a sigh as she eyed the remnants of their little party. “I have to head back to headquarters. I’ll leave you boys to enjoy yourselves. Be good while I’m gone. And happy birthday again, Sasuke.”

She leaned in to place a hard kiss on his forehead before he could protest; her giggles disappearing with her as she teleported as quickly as she had done the act. He rubbed his forehead, cheeks flaming with color, only to meet the amused gaze directed at him from his lone companion.

“What?” he finally snapped.

“She’s developing stronger feelings for you,” Sai replied bluntly. He helped himself to another piece of cake. “I’ve tried to warn her that it’s fruitless, and she’s aware of this, but she cannot help herself anyway. It’s human nature after all.”

Sasuke remained silent. He wasn’t blind. He knew Sakura’s attention had gone from mere ‘friends’ to the little acts of devotion that made him a little uncomfortable. Maybe it all started with the tasty and well-thought out bento lunches she’d make for him, or coming over to help with his laundry and clean the apartment when he least expected it. Or was it from their sparring sessions when she’d hold him just a little bit longer than necessary, or was it the stolen brief kisses on his forehead or cheeks whenever she would say her goodbyes? He honestly didn’t really mind, because she was…well… _Sakura._ Still, a part of him felt bad that he’d never be able to reciprocate her feelings in the way she’d like. 

“And what about you?” Sasuke asked. “You make it seem like you’ve never fallen for anyone before.”

Sai shrugged, eyes glued to the television. “My personal life is no concern of yours.”

Sasuke scowled and was ready to retort back, when Sai continued quietly. “But if you must know, yes, I did have feelings for someone a while back…many years ago.”

Sasuke held back the question he burned to ask. Come to think of it, he still didn’t know how Sai had died, and Sakura hadn’t known either when he prodded her. Maybe he’d finally get the answer today. 

“He was mortal,” Sai stated flatly. “And that was already doomed from the start.”

_He? **He?!** That meant…!_

“Yes,” Sai replied with a hint of a smile on his lips even though he still wasn’t looking at Sasuke. “Yes, I did have feelings for a member of the same sex, but then again, when you’ve come from my era, such things shouldn’t be shocking.” He rubbed at his neck and finally looked away from the screen, but only to close his eyes. “I was an orphan, that much I remember, and if I’m not mistaken, I am at least ten years older than Naruto…so you do the math. Either way, I remembered living on the streets for a while until a wealthy _daimyo_ took interest in me and…the rest as they say is history.”

“Huh?”

Sai lifted his lashes with a sigh. “I became a…what’s the term for it these days? Let’s just say I kept my master’s bed warm when he needed me to.”

“Oh…”

There was a tense pause before Sasuke asked quietly. “So how did you get mixed up with all this then?”

“How did I become a spirit warrior? I ran away from my master’s house, but didn’t get far enough. I was shot several times over and my body tossed into a ravine. The next thing I remember was waking up in Jiraiya-sama’s arms with the promise of a life where I could use my inherent skills to do good…and exact revenge if I wanted.”

“And did you? Exact your revenge?”

Sai didn’t answer, but if the brief twitch of his lips was any indication, Sasuke figured it out easily. 

“And this mortal you fell in love with?”

“You’re full of questions today, aren’t you? Is this all part of the ritual of growing up?”

“Now listen -”

“His name was Shin,” Sai interrupted. “And I fell in love with him – as you put it – not immediately mind you. However, he was the first person to ever really appreciate my work. He was a high-school student just like you, and I was surprised at how well versed he was in the Arts. He showed me his portfolio, and from there we struck up conversation and became fast friends – odd because I was never really the kind to want to begin such relationships. I couldn’t tell him what I was, but he eventually figured things were different about me when he got older and I still looked the same.” 

He stopped talking and bit his lower lip, perhaps wondering if he ought to continue. He was talking way too much already, but a quick glance at the boy beside him made him sigh inwardly and continue.

“I was afraid. Afraid I would lose him if I finally revealed that I could never die, that my curse was to watch him grow old, while I lived until…God knows when. On his twenty-fifth birthday, he finally made me spit it out, and as I confessed, I watched and waited for him to loathe and despise me.”

“But he didn’t,” Sasuke said quietly. “He still stuck with you, didn’t he?”

Sai was horrified to find it was becoming a little difficult to swallow. This was a memory he had long locked away and never wanted to reveal to anyone, but somehow…this kid…

He shrugged and reached for the bottle of sweetened water, wishing Sakura had purchased something stronger. “Yes,” he finally replied tightly. “He chose to remain with me until his dying day. It was a beautiful funeral.”

He drank and fell into silence; a silence in which both men’s thoughts swirled with the tumultuous range of emotions within them.

It was Sai who finally broke it after an eternity. “I can only assume that is what Naruto was hoping to avoid…again.”

At the sound of the blond’s name – Sasuke’s head snapped up, his heart skipping several beats for his thoughts had been trained on his teacher’s indescribable expression that cold, rainy night. 

“I cannot say I know him that well,” Sai was saying, “but he does come across as a person who can easily lose himself in another only to regret his decision eventually. It’s the reason he has to try to harden himself to becoming too involved with anyone. He must have lost so many people he loved over the years…it does take an emotional and mental toll on you. So if he’s pushing you away, by his leaving, I would hope you wouldn’t think it’s because he hates you.”

 _I guessed that,_ Sasuke thought feverishly, _but that didn’t mean he had to just leave me like that. He should have at least given me a chance to…_

“I should leave,” Sai suddenly announced, jerking Sasuke out of his reverie. “I’ll help you tidy up, so you can get some rest. You’ve had a long day.”

Sai was already on his feet before Sasuke could object. It forced him to move as well, and together, both cleared up the mess until the living room was as pristine as it once was. 

“Don’t quote me on this,” Sai said as he lifted the trash bag to begin heading out the door. “But I’d be more vigilant regarding your whereabouts without me or Sakura with you. I guess you’ve been hearing the rumors about the dying spirit warriors especially the immortals, correct?”

Sasuke nodded. He didn’t know the full details, but there had been whispers and besides, the obvious tension around S.W.A.T was a dead giveaway that something was seriously wrong. 

“I’m still not sure how Immortals get to die -”

“Considering it’s your clan responsible for developing that method, you can see how some might want to put the responsibility on you.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But I don’t have any clue as to- !”

“When your brother passed away, did he not leave anything behind? You lived with him, did you not?”

“Yeah, his clothes and work stuff…and some old school things, but nothing really fascinating.”

“Search harder,” Sai pressed; his dark eyes intense. “There must be something Itachi must have left behind; a clue of some sort to help you. I doubt he would have died without preparing you for the worst. If the stories I’ve heard about him are true, he’s much smarter than you give him credit for.”

* * *

It would take him a week before he could finally get himself to do as Sai asked.

After nearly two hours spent playing “PSYCHO Pathway” – the new BL game for testing – which had a rather intriguing plot, and another thirty minutes spent taking a very cold shower –

(damn if Hamazaki and his team weren’t getting more and more creative with the sex scenes)

…Sasuke strode into his bedroom and toward the closet to reluctantly dig out his past. He hadn’t kept much of Itachi’s things, and he sincerely hoped that his donations to the Thrift Store hadn’t contained anything of significance. He shoved aside the neat pile of pants and shirts to reveal the slate-colored cabin trunk hidden behind it. It took some effort, but he managed to drag it out into the open, aware that he had not bothered opening this since he moved here three years ago. 

Trembling fingers brushed away the thin layer of dust accumulated on it, and he wasn’t surprised to realize that he could already ‘smell’ his brother. Itachi had always had a unique scent about him that had nothing to do with overpowering colognes. It was the smell of warmth, kindness and love, and as Sasuke flipped open the locks, he had to chew hard on his lower lip to prevent the surge of emotion to hit him. 

_All right…we can do this,_ he thought as he took a deep breath and opened the box.

The smell was much stronger now – a combination of dust, age, and pine. The indent of where the _katana_ had once lain was still evident on the protective cloth covering. Sasuke pushed it aside to rummage carefully through the box. He had kept a few of Itachi’s favorite clothes – just a couple of tee-shirts featuring his favorite band – and the two traditional outfits he’d wear for New Year celebrations. There were some of his favorite books and movies, and a small wooden box which contained a silver necklace and ring his brother would wear occasionally. Sasuke had put them on one night, and had to admit the pieces of jewelry made him feel awkward. Besides, they looked much better on his brother. He wasn’t the jewelry kind of guy anyway. 

There were several notebooks – mostly Itachi’s school books and programming jargon Sasuke had kept for sentimental reasons obviously. Maybe it was just the idea of having his brother’s scrawling handwriting for memories sake, but he couldn’t really see any particular need for them. It was a bit disappointing there were no other childhood items here. The fire had completely destroyed their home and everything with it. So there were no family albums or memorabilia to add to the collection. The only thing that was to remind them of even having parents was the lone photograph now tacked on his living room wall. 

“Search harder, huh?” Sasuke thought bitterly as he prepared to toss everything back into the box. “So much for tha…eh?”

He had picked up one of the DVDs – with looked like a cheesy comedy – to open it for no real reason, when he was stumped at what it contained. Instead of the usual shiny disc, the DVD case was hollow enough to contain a small brown notebook, so worn that its pages were curled tightly. There was no indication of whom it belonged to, but upon opening the first page, the familiar scrawl had his heart thumping hard within his chest. 

_(I don’t believe it)_

He tore through the rest of the DVDs and was rewarded with the same thing. Five small dairies in all – some older than others and evidence of the fire (burn marks) still on them. 

“Why in the DVDs?” he asked. “What if I had given them away to the thrift store?!” 

Christ! Just the thought that he might have sent them into the wrong hands was enough to have him having a minor panic attack. He couldn’t tell you why he had chosen to keep the movies in the first place, but something must have compelled him to just snatch them all and toss them in the box. Had Itachi assumed he’d just keep them? Either way, it wasn’t a very clever way of hiding what must obviously be important, and recalling Sai’s cryptic words was enough to have Sasuke bundling his newfound treasures into a pile before putting the trunk back into its place.

_/Search harder…for some clue…/_

Still trembling, he closed his blinds, made sure his protective barrier was in place, and dove into bed with the books to delve into their secrets. 

For the next several hours, time held no meaning. With every word, he felt his brother’s presence grow stronger until he was sure Itachi was actually whispering them into his ears. 

He knew his brother had loved him, but he never knew just how much.  
He knew his brother had lived a relatively peaceful and happy childhood before he was born, but never would he have guessed what a lie they had been living.  
He knew his family had a connection with a certain blond-haired spirit warrior, but little had he known just how intense those ties had been (or maybe he did since it had all started with Madara).  
He knew his brother had known Naruto, but he had no idea just how _close_ their relationship had been. And though his heart ached at some of the poetic words Itachi would use to describe his teacher, Sasuke could relate in more ways than one.  
Itachi had _loved_ Naruto and the feelings must have been mutual at some point. 

“Guess it’s our curse as well to give our hearts to you, Naruto,” Sasuke whispered into his pillow as he closed his eyes and tried to control the unwarranted pangs of envy and pain. “It’s just unfortunate you decided not to let me in while you gave the others a chance. That’s so not fair.”

\--

_January 15,_  
 _He asked me to meet him at the park today. I couldn’t get there fast enough after school. He looked the same as always, and it was all I could do not to run into his arms in relief and happiness. He’s been gone for over four months, stating that the mission in South America was rather difficult. He went into detail, describing all the different yōkai he fought with. His eyes are so blue – a wonderful cerulean hue like the ocean - when he gets excited, and when he smiles, the whole world smiles with him. Just being there was enough of a gift, but he was adamant in wanting to give me a present. It was a souvenir he claimed has Aztec powers. I allowed him to put the necklace around my neck, which is nice. And though I doubt it has any magical ability, it’s still the thought that counts._

\--

_March 10,_  
 _He kissed me today! Or rather I was the one to finally initiate it. How bold and daring of me. I fully expected him to push me away and warn me against it, but he didn’t mind at all! I know I sound like a blushing teenage girl receiving her first kiss, but I swear it felt that way. I’ve never kissed a man before, and I assumed it would feel as soft and sweet as the kind I’ve shared with my ex-girlfriend, but it was so much more than I expected. His kisses are hard and thorough – as if he wishes to imprint his lips on mine and never let me forget the experience – and yes, I will definitely NEVER forget them for as long as I live. I wonder if he’ll let me do it again tomorrow. Let’s hope and see._  
 _P.S: I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I’m still burning up all over._

_\--_

_June 9,_  
 _I’m disappointed. I know it’s my birthday and Father and Mother and even Sasuke got me lovely gifts, but I had hoped he’d do so much more than kissing tonight. For the past year, it’s been that way and I’m wondering if he’ll ever let me get past that stage in our relationship. He seems wary of letting me touch him intimately, and would always stop me when I try to rub him down there. He’s gotten me off a few times, and even then I can feel the guilt rolling off him even when I try to convince him that he’s done nothing wrong. I wonder why he’s so afraid of getting too close to me. Is there something wrong with me? Does he not love me anymore? I don’t want to lose him, but I’m tired of waiting for him to do what he clearly wishes he could. (sigh) I wonder what will become of us now._

_\--_

_April 25,_  
 _We had another argument today. He can be so stubborn and impossible sometimes. He still asks that I become Immortal, but I cannot. I dread the idea of living for eternity and having my brother grow up wondering why I never age. The thought of watching him die terrifies me, and I’d rather give up my life for him to be happy than to be selfish in Immortality. I want Sasuke to live as normal a life as possible. I want him to grow up never having to worry about beings that aim to destroy him. I know I’m caught between a rock and a hard place, and that no decision I make will be suitable for everyone. So please forgive me, my dearest love, for though I wish I could make you happy, Sasuke means so much more to me. He’s all I have now, and I swear to protect him with my life._

\--

_June 10,_  
 _Sasuke has the sharingan. Why, oh why did this have to happen? Have my fervent prayers gone unheard? Is this God’s way of punishing me? It kills me to hear him whimper in pain at night, and to know that from now on his life is never going to be the same. I can only assume that this is what I deserve for being so selfish. I do not know what I’m going to do now. How can I continue to keep our family’s secret away from him? And I have no idea where Naruto’s gone. It’s so hard not to cry as I write this. I’ve never felt more alone and afraid in my life. I need him. I need him so much it hurts. Please come home soon, Naruto. Wherever you are._

_\--_

_September 24,_  
 _Today I learned of something troubling. Naruto had hinted at something like this in the past, but I never fully understood until I decided to visit the family temple in Mount Takao. Naruto claimed that this was the place he had fought and killed Madara, and that he couldn’t be certain, but there must be some kind of cave where the Uchiha kept their family secrets. Father had left no notes or diaries, or maybe they were lost in the fire, but I searched long and hard for this cave – even asking some of the temple priests about it, but no one seemed willing to tell me. According to Naruto, this cave contained the seals and materials created by our clan capable of killing all Immortals, and it was Madara responsible for wiping out half of the Immortals during the Great War. I’ve tried desperately to find this cave, but to no avail. Perhaps it doesn’t exist for I’ve often wondered – if this ‘thing’ actually exists, how come Madara never used it on Naruto?_

\--

“Because he still loved him,” Sasuke had deduced with a groan when he read that part. “Despite everything…he was still probably unable to kill Naruto.”

But at least it was now clear that Naruto was the one responsible for taking the life of the man who had caused him so much grief. Sasuke was sure the battle between them had been wrought with passionate emotions and lingering feelings of betrayal. Yet how had Naruto felt when it was all over? How had he felt standing over the body of the man he had once loved and given his heart to?

_/ He must have lost so many people he loved over the years…it does take an emotional and mental toll on you. /_

And what a burden that must have been, made even worse with some of Itachi’s last thoughts.

\--

_December 12_  
 _I am dying. My so-called innocuous coughing has proven to be worse than I assumed. I have an incurable lung infection, and I’ve had to hide my blood-tinged sputum from prying eyes (Sasuke) as much as possible. What’s worse is Naruto’s reaction to the news. His anger, frustration, and anguish is palpable as he begs and pleads for me to be with him, to become Immortal and to continue to protect Sasuke if that’s my main concern. He claims my illness will go away, and that I’ll be free from all pain and suffering, but I still cannot make him understand my fears. I know that a part of him wishes for me to be with him as a companion, to help him should Kurama decide to act out selfishly, but I am no longer strong enough to do that and we both know it. Even if I become Immortal, will I be of any use to him? And how would Sasuke treat me then knowing that his brother could never die? I couldn’t bear it. “I love you,” I told him as he hugged me tight to him and wept into my hair. “I will always love you. Never forget.” And when we kissed, I could swear his tears tasted as bitter as his heartache._

\--

He snapped the diary shut as his vision blurred. From the date, it was clear that Itachi had known about his impending death a whole year before it actually happened. Sasuke had heard and seen his brother coughing, but had always assumed it was just the cold weather responsible for it.

_(if only I had known)_

And then what? What could a kid like him do? The disease was apparently incurable, so it wasn’t as if he could have done anything to heal Itachi. What was the point of allowing this well of guilt to fill his heart? And there was Naruto who had been willing to offer Itachi a chance at that and his stubborn brother had refused all because of him.

_(if only you had said “yes” nii-san…what kind of a life would we have been living today?)_

The sudden buzz of his cell phone jarred him from his thoughts. Sasuke reached for the device with an inner sigh and stared blankly at the name on the caller ID.

_Unknown._

Great. Some idiot trying to bug him.

He prepared to toss it aside, when the blimp of a text message had him frowning again. What now?

 _Come see me tonight,_ read the mysterious message. _I have something very important for you. Love and molten kisses, Mei. P.S: I will send Chōjūrō to pick you. Be nice to him!_

 _Mei?_ That name ought to ring a bell for him, but he was drawing a blank at the moment. Besides, he was still so emotionally wrung out with all he had read so far, his head was throbbing and he was definitely in no mood to go out anywhere to meet anyone tonight (or any other night for that matter). He sulked beneath his blanket, squeezing his eyes shut and trying desperately hard to ignore the mental image of Naruto crying over his brother.

_(the day he does that for me…dream on, Sasuke)_

Second was this mysterious cave Itachi wrote about. Mount Takao wasn’t too far from here – just a bus and train ride away, and if he could set aside a day to really go searching for this place, perhaps it would help answer some of his burning questions. Besides, someone (or something) must have access to the cave because he/she/it was currently using it against the spirit warriors and Immortals in particular. 

_(no one’s safe…not even me…not even Naruto)_

His lashes flew open; the pangs of worry now getting stronger. He had done well to curb (as much as possible) his thoughts when it came to Naruto and his whereabouts, and it was obvious from Itachi’s diaries that the blond was prone to disappearing for months at a time. He knew he couldn’t be on a mission because even Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya had claimed they hadn’t assigned him anywhere. Naruto – though still under the rule of the tribunal and its laws – was one of the few elite warriors who could get away with (almost) anything. If he chose to go on ‘vacation’ for goodness knew how long, he could do so. Sure he’d get a scolding, but it wasn’t as if they were going to ban him for life. They needed his strength just as much as he needed their guidance. 

_/I have something for you/_

What could it possibly mean? Did this Mei have a message from Naruto? That could be it, couldn’t it? Suddenly feeling encouraged and hopeful, though a small part of him warned that he was getting excited over nothing, he all but leaped out of bed in search of something decent to wear. He was hardly done brushing his hair into some semblance of normalcy, when the chime of his doorbell filtered through the apartment.

_(he’s here)_

Not sure of what to expect, Sasuke was definitely not ready for the nerdy-looking kid shuffling his feet at his doorstep. About as tall as Sasuke’s chest, this Chōjūrō character had short blue hair and shy dark eyes protected by a pair of glasses and ear protectors attached to them. Despite the summer heat, the guy was clad in rather thick camouflage pants and matching jacket, and he appeared to have twin swords attached to his back. He looked up with a small smile at Sasuke before asking in a voice that was barely audible. 

“Are you ready? Mei-sama is ready to see you now.”

Always prepared for the worst, Sasuke nodded and grabbed his sword as well; now choosing to have it carried behind him (like Chōjūrō) as compared to the waist before. It was easier to withdraw from its sheath anyway and was less cumbersome to deal with especially when running. 

Chōjūrō leapt nimbly onto the railing and would have leapt to the roof, if he didn’t suddenly remember he was with someone. He looked behind him at Sasuke. “Can you jump? If not, we can walk…?”

Sasuke smirked lightly. He hadn’t been sitting on his ass for the past five months doing nothing, and besides, while with Naruto, he had learned the trick of getting enough chakra to push him off the earth and into the air at great distances. He proceeded to do just that, leaping past the stunned Chōjūrō and onto the next building’s roof to wait for him. 

There was an ‘art’ to doing this for you didn’t want to attract the attention of humans too much. Though Sasuke had floundered the first few times - with Sai and Sakura teaching him - he eventually got the hang of timing it just right until  he became nothing more than a blur to the normal eye. It was thrilling to say the least; an adrenaline rush to know you could move as fast as the wind if you set your mind to it. 

In mere minutes, they landed in an inconspicuous neighborhood, where its shops seemed to gear toward the eccentric and eclectic. Despite it being early in the evening, there weren’t a lot of people on the street, and as Chōjūrō came to a stop before the building tucked between a pottery shop and a seafood restaurant, Sasuke took in the exterior décor with its weird assortment of hanging vines and curling, spiral-like flowers with mild distaste. There was a simple sign that said “Mei’s Garden”, and stepping into the shop, it was clear the proprietor had a penchant for the really bizarre side of Nature. Gaping Venus fly-traps, as tall as Sasuke, seemed to lean toward him as if eager to take off a chunk of his flesh. aldrovandras slithered toward him, seemed to sniff his presence and shrink back in repulsion. He couldn’t be sure, but were those roses (if they really were roses) making those tinkling sounds? Every corner of the shop seemed to have some kind of plant stationed there, and though there was an area set up as a café – complete with cozy small tables and chairs – the overbearing foliage and blend of smells, made it rather claustrophobic. No wonder there were no customers.

“Mei-sama!” Chōjūrō called out loudly, while Sasuke fought with a plant with spidery tendrils trying to stick to his shirt. “He’s here!”

“Hold on, my darlings,” came the sultry response from behind a beaded curtain. “Just let me make myself a little prettier.”

“You couldn’t possibly be any prettier, Mei-sama,” Chōjūrō sighed in a love-sick voice. The expression on his face made Sasuke nauseous. “You are a goddess.”

Tinkling laughter floated toward them, and soon enough the mysterious lady in question appeared with the gentle brush of the curtain that sang just as lightly as her sound of mirth. 

_(wow)_

She was stunning, to put it mildly, and he was male enough to find himself responding to the sight and appreciating just how good she looked (for someone probably in her late 200s if not older). Her slender yet curvaceous body was draped in a rich royal blue _sari_ , her green eyes shimmering like emeralds beneath the artificial light. Her skin was lovely porcelain accentuated by thick auburn ankle-length hair with a top knot and bangs for a unique style. Her lips were full and red with color, which were now being licked slowly as if savoring something delectable. 

“God, you Uchiha men are all the same. Such sinful pleasures designed by God Himself to tease us mere mortals,” she crooned in a voice dripping with promiscuous connotations. She reached out to caress his cheek, a reluctant shiver going through him at the touch. Cold at first, but then a heat he couldn’t explain as her rid-tipped fingernails scraped tenderly at his skin. She sighed and leaned closer, her breath warm –

_(hot)_

…her fingers tightening around his jaw to hold him prisoner. His eyes widened as he realized what she was planning to do, but he need not have panicked, for Chōjūrō’s jealousy came in the form of him pouting and crying out a breathless “Mei-sama’, which snapped her daze abruptly.

“Oh my,” she giggled and stepped away, finally releasing the boy much to his relief. “How bold of me. You must forgive me, Sasuke. I’ve wanted to see you for quite a while. Sit. Sit. Make yourself at home.” She ordered as she flounced away from him with a wave of her arm and the jangle of golden bracelets to race down its length. “Chōjūrō darling, get us some tea, will you?”

It was clear the boy didn’t want to leave their sight, but at the glare from his boss, he slinked into the backroom leaving them alone. 

“He likes you,” Sasuke finally said as he sat across from her. “Is he your boyfriend?”

Mei laughed and shook her head. “Oh darling, Chōjūrō is like a son to me. I can’t help it if he has those kinds of feelings for me, not that I’m not flattered. It’s so hard to find a good man these days. Are you available?”

Sasuke ignored the question and asked curtly. “Is he Immortal too?”

She smiled mysteriously and made a tent with her hands beneath her chin; eyes lit up with amusement. “No, he’s special. He’s actually a _yōkai_. You couldn’t tell, could you?”

Sasuke masked his shock at the news, just as Chōjūrō appeared with a tray. He studied the boy intensely, but could get none of the malevolent vibes he usually received from the spirit beings. 

“You can search hard and long, but you’ll never find it,” Mei was saying as she smiled warmly at the boy who blushed so hard, Sasuke thought he would pass out. “Chōjūrō is a rare breed, a child born from two half- _yōkai_ parents, though abandoned. I believe he was a gift from God, and so far he’s proven me right. He’s a wonderful young man and loyal to a fault. Aren’t you, my darling?”

She received a whimper and even more blushing from the boy who sat away (but not too far) from them.

Sasuke sipped his tea – which actually tasted decent – and went straight to the point. “Who are you?”

She attempted to look pained. “I can’t believe they haven’t told you about me. I knew that old hag had something against me, and yes, I mean Tsunade.” She huffed and dug into her _sari_ to whip out a familiar set of cards Sasuke now knew all too well. It was the same thing Chiyo-baasama used to appraise the _yōkai_ stones he brought in, which could only mean – 

“Chiyo isn’t the only one able to bring good or bad fortune, but I’d like to think I’m fairer with my prices.” She smiled and spread them out on the table, before hovering her hands over them as they, one-by-one, began to float in the air in a circle. Unlike Chiyo’s glow, which could be a soothing blue, Mei’s cards glowed a brilliant green to match her eyes.

“You said you had something for me,” Sasuke asked as he studied her features. “What is it? I have no stones for appraisal today.”

“Oh, I know that,” she replied and lowered her hands. The cards continued to hover in the air. “And I also know that you are now even more of a target by people who wish to confiscate the seals used to kill the Immortals.”

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“Of course you don’t, you poor thing. Itachi was wise to keep you in the dark. He knew if you were aware of the location, you’d be even more of a target from hostile clans. Not only would they use your powers, but they’d be able to will you into killing their enemies. Think about it. You are invaluable.”

“Itachi didn’t know its location either,” Sasuke replied cautiously. “The only person who might know is Naruto, and even he’s not talking.” He frowned. “How do I know you’re not working with the ‘enemy’?”

Mei’s eyes narrowed. There was a brief flash of anger before her features broke into a smile. “It is only natural for you to suspect me; after all, I’m a strange woman appearing before you all of a sudden. But you can be rest assured that I am not one of them. It should be easy enough for you to tell the difference if you use more of your _sharingan_ abilities or has that not fully developed yet?”

Sasuke was a little embarrassed. Using the _sharingan_ was tiring though not as bad as Amaterasu, so he avoided using it often. 

“How will that help me?”  
  
“To tell the difference between the shape shifters and the real ones, of course.” Mei flicked the cards with a wave of her fingers and they each began to reveal images. “Whoever is behind the attacks has developed a way of creating shape shifters so real; it’s becoming more and more difficult to tell the difference. It’s why so many spirit warriors and Immortals have been taken by surprise. S.W.A.T is trying to come up with a new seal to imprint on all real spirit warriors; a way to tell the real from the fake. I told them at the last meeting that it was going to be a waste of time. All they had to do was find the source of the problems and eliminate him from there.”

“But who’s the source of the problem?” Sasuke asked with a pound of his fist on the table. “Who else knows about the Uchihas' seals and where they are kept?”

“Someone who obviously was close to your family.”

Sasuke’s breath caught, for the first name to come to his mind was –

“Not Naruto surely,” Mei said with a knowing smile. “Why on earth would he go that far? Your clan had friends in many not-so-high places. There were many insidious people who teamed up with Madara during the Great War and some did survive over the centuries.”

Sasuke rose to his feet. “I don’t understand.” He paced the small room, his mind churning. “I don’t get it. Why is this all happening now?”

“Why else? Whoever this person is seems to have taken your ancestor’s creed of eliminating the Immortals to heart, and with The Calm coming -”

“The _what?_ ”

Mei sighed and lowered the cards to the table. “The Calm. It comes every quarter of a century; a day when most spirit warriors powers are weakened and _yōkai_ have a tendency to roam even more freely. Only a few select clans can deal with them during that time, and these are the clans with special bloodline limits; the Uchihas being one of them. Whoever is behind the shape shifters has timed it perfectly. The Calm will be coming within the month, and who knows what will happen then?”

“Isn’t there anything you can do to help me? Any idea at all of who might be behind this?!”

Mei lowered her gaze to the cards, and was silent for so long, Sasuke feared she had dozed off. However, she soon picked up one of the blank cards and held it up until the lone word _“Hebi”_ flashed upon it. 

“…snake?” Sasuke read out slowly. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It is written in the books of old that there were three great sages; the frog, the snake and the snail. You have already met the frogs, but there exists a place for the snakes; a place with close ties to your clan.”

Another name was slow to appear on the card, this time with the word _“Ryūchi”._

“They say it no longer exists, but like Mount Myōboku, the cave only appears to those who are destined to see it. I have no idea where it is…”

 _I do,_ Sasuke’s mind screamed. _I have an idea of where to start looking!_

“But we can only hope that the answers lie there,” Mei continued. She slammed the card upon the table and took a deep breath as if suddenly weary of the conversation. She sighed. “I only called to warn you and to tell you as much as I know. My dreams have been filled with both names, and I had hoped they would trigger something within you.”

She reached out to place a hand on his wrist, her grip strong and her gaze intense.

“I would suggest you do not do this alone. Seek those two you work with – Sai and Sakura – though I would have preferred you have someone of Naruto’s caliber with you. But…” She smiled sadly at the brief pained expression in his eyes. “…I am sorry. I wish I could give you the answer you seek to that particular question. Unfortunately, I am not a psychic or fortune teller. I can only -”

**BOOM!**

_What the hell?!_

“Get down!” Mei yelled in a voice much stronger and louder than the sultry tone she’d been using so far. 

She pushed Sasuke to the ground and spun around quickly, just as another of the thunderous explosion sent even more of the furnishings and deadly plants collapsing to the ground. Sasuke would slide away just in time before the jaws of the Venus flytrap clamped his thigh, and looked up to notice that ‘shy’ Chōjūrō had somehow transformed into a fearless bodyguard. The innocuous sword, which he had kept behind him, was now withdrawn to reveal a large blade that could probably cut through steel. Charged with so-much chakra, the sword blazed brightly.

Meanwhile, Mei appeared to be doing something with her lips, and it wasn’t until he began to notice the growing cloud of mist enveloping them, did Sasuke realize she was the one responsible for it. However, whoever their attacker was, had no plans to give her enough them to cloak them completely, for another blaze of fire came their way, sending the three of them flying back with such force, it knocked their breaths away. The mist was clearing, but Sasuke was already struggling to his feet with his sword unsheathed. 

“Is everyone all right?” he barked while helping Mei to her feet. Chōjūrō brushed aside the pieces of debris to fall on him, safe to say that the once standing shop was no more. Fortunately, it looked like the least of Mei’s worries, for her furious gaze was trained on the person responsible for the destruction. 

It was Chōjūrō’s low gasp and the breathed words “Naruto-kun?” which had Sasuke spinning around with his heart in his throat.

_Im…impossible…it’s…it can’t be…_

And yet as the dust, smoke and mist finally dissipated, there was no mistaking the familiar perched figure of the man he had dreamt and worried about despite his attempts not to. 

_(oh God)_

This wasn’t particularly the reunion he had envisioned, but then again…why the hell would Naruto want to attack Mei?

“You talk too much, Mei-chan, but then again that’s not surprising considering what else your mouth is known for. And as for you,” Those icy blue eyes were now trained on Sasuke. “You’d think after all I’ve taught you, you’d be able to tell the difference between those who wish to help and those who seek you for the wrong reasons. Do you honestly think this bitch is trying to help you? She only wants you to lead her to the cave, so she can claim the seals for herself. Aren’t you, Mei-chan?” 

His lips formed a sneer of derision. There was something colder…harder…a darkness that seemed to surround Naruto than ever before. He looked no different physically, but Sasuke couldn’t place a finger on it. His grip around the sword tightened, and he was aware that his palms were now damp with sweat.

_(Is this Kurama talking? But why…I don’t seem to sense it…)_

And another thing, this Naruto didn’t seem to care much about putting up barriers since this was supposed to be a battle between spirit warriors. If it wasn’t for Mei doing the honors, more humans would have been aware of the destruction and more lives lost, for looking down the street, Sasuke could see the still bloody figures of mortals caught in the middle of a fight that made no sense. Sirens were already shrieking in the distance, and the wails and confused cries from onlookers had was wrenching to witness.

“What the hell happened to you?” Sasuke growled beneath his breath; forcing himself to meet those eyes again. “What the hell happened to you, Naruto?!”

The blond laughed; a loud bitter sound before suddenly leaping off his perch on the wall to grab a surprised Chōjūrō by the neck.

“Chōjūrō!” Mei screamed and let loose a wave of what appeared to be molten lava from her mouth. However, Naruto was too fast for her, and he took off with the screaming boy, whose sword slipped from boneless fingers as he was slammed hard into a wall with a sickening crunch. 

“You bastard!” Sasuke roared; his fury at the sight (and the hurt at how Naruto could act this way) giving his legs flight. He leapt after the blond, who danced away from reach with another mocking laugh.

“Weak!” he jeered. “Too weak! I’m ashamed to call you my student, Sasuke!”

 _Not true,_ Sasuke’s mind wailed as he swung and missed, though he was still able to channel enough of his chakra into the sword to hope it made contact with the blond. _That’s not the Naruto I know. He’s proud of me. I know he is. He might not have said it out loud, but I could see it in his eyes. Just what the hell happened to you these past few months? Why have you changed so much?_

He struck hard again, and would have cheered at the result of seeing his _chidori_ finally striking its target, when a figure suddenly appeared before him to take the brunt of the blow.

“Ouch…that hurts. It seems you really are as strong as I had predicted, Sasuke.”

_That…voice…_

And just like that, the world suddenly stopped spinning for the young man. It felt like the energy was being sucked out of him as he stared at the familiar black ponytail that fluttered gently in the night breeze. That tall back he had always looked up to and strong shoulders he had ridden on so many times as a child. His legs buckled and he fell to his knees; the tears welling up in his eyes before he could control them.

This really had to be the cruelest joke of them all.

_(was it all a …lie?)_

“See?” Naruto laughed with a hand on his hips, while holding onto Mei’s head as if dragging a mannequin. Her face was bruised, though there was still defiance in her eyes. She was mouthing something to Sasuke, but his mind was slowly shutting down at the surreal sight before him. 

“Told you I’d keep my word and bring back your brother, didn’t I?” Naruto was saying. “You should be thanking me for this wonderful reunion. Now kiss and make up before he kills you.”

_(it’s not true…)_

Mei was screaming now.

_(Itachi can’t be here…)_

His brother was turning around slowly; something long and hard glinting in the night sky as he raised his arm. 

_Your sharingan,_ Mei seemed to be saying. _Use your sharingan, Sasuke!_

_(my what? Sharingan? What good does that do now? I’m…weak…didn’t you hear him? I’m not as strong as I could be)_

And yet…how was it possible? How could this Itachi have the same sword he was barely holding onto? He didn’t remember Itachi having two _katana_. Or was it a new one?

 _It’s not…!_ Mei was bellowing, but a hard kick to her stomach, from Naruto, silenced her and her body was flung aside like a rag doll. 

_(Mei…sama…Chōjūrō…I’m so sorry)_

“Finish him now,” Naruto was saying impatiently. “We do not have time to waste, Itachi. Hurry up and finish him off now!”

“I’m sorry to have to do this,” came the quiet words filled with regret. He looked like he was about to cry himself. “I’ll explain it to you in the afterlife, so for now…please go to sleep, Sasuke. I’ve left you with so much pain and suffering, but be rest assured that everything is going to be all right from now on.”

_Nii-san…I…_

The sword carved - in a graceful arc - through the air, and would have taken off the young man’s head when something blindingly fast stepped in-between to freeze the weapon in mid-swing.

“Fuck,” came the long grunt of pain as beads of something warm, thick and wet began to drip on Sasuke’s forehead. They trickled down his face and toward his mouth, where the coppery taste of blood on his lips and tongue sent a tiny jolt of awareness down his spine.

_(what…?)_

“I leave you alone for a few months and come back to this,” the newcomer was saying in a tone that seeped through his muddled senses and was slowly bringing him back to life. “Get the fuck up, Sasuke, and fight back!”

_Na…Naruto?_

He blinked hard in disbelief, for looking over his shoulder with Itachi’s _katana_ buried into his right shoulder was none other than…well… _Naruto_. 

“Naruto…” he began in confusion only to gasp as he felt the surge of energy directed into his lower back courtesy of the first Naruto who had no plans to let Sasuke fully comprehend what was taking place. 

The pain was excruciating, but even worse was seeing the horrified expression on the second Naruto’s face as realized what was happening. Sasuke’s vision shimmered when an anguished wail of ‘Nooooooooo!’ cut through the night. He saw the ground rapidly rising to his face, and he would barely feel the hard collision of his body against the asphalt. 

_So cold,_ was his fading thought, though he was sure he was smiling somewhere deep inside. For at least his simple wish to have Naruto weep for _him_ had finally come true. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Scarlet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well in case you haven’t noticed by now, I am taking some liberties with some of the techniques in the Naruto-verse for this story. I can’t be bothered to go into every intricate detail of how each skill works (besides boring you all to death), so I’ll do my best to make it as ‘fun’ as possible. Secondly, thanks for your patience with the update. Real life is kicking me in the ass, so I’m trying as best I can to work on the story in the meantime. Bottom line, we’re about to go full cycle – as in back to the prologue of this story - so enjoy, and as always your feedback is more than appreciated.

  


If his world was a perpetual shade of soft lilac, tonight – at this very moment; when he saw ‘himself’ deliver the deadly strike to his student – it shattered into a turbulent flare of scarlet.

He couldn’t hear his wail of denial; the pain of having a sword pierced through his torso pale in comparison to the sight of the bloody crater which had once been the boy’s back. 

_(why…?)_

A pool of blood was beginning to form around Sasuke’s head, where its hard impact with the pavement had been nothing short of grimace-inducing.

_(why does this always happen?)_

His fingers wrapped around the steel blade.

_(always…it’s always the same)_

He squeezed his eyes shut, and with every shuddered grunt, tugged at the weapon buried within him; the flesh of his palms sliced neatly with every tightening grip. He would not look at the _thing_ before him; this _thing_ that dared to make a mockery of the young man he had once admired and loved despite his better judgment. 

_(have I failed you yet again, Itachi? What good am I when I couldn’t even protect the one thing you entrusted to me?)_

Regret, mingled with a blinding rage, began to swirl within the pit of his stomach. He parted his lips to give a primal howl of fury, hardly giving the thing before him a chance to react before delivering a chakra-fused punch into its face. His lips curled in disgust at the sensation, for instead of the usual crunch of human bones and flesh, the now familiar doughy-substance these shape shifters were made of, nearly wound itself around his wrist at the same time. Still, his punch was enough to have the body spinning through the air and slamming hard against a wall.

_(just when I think I’m doing the right thing…it always blows up in my face)_

He yanked the sword out of him and flung it aside; opening his eyes just as a blaze of fire erupted from the lips of the Itachi clone. He barely dodged the attack and retaliated with a barrage of chakra balls – his _rasengan_ – as Jiraiya had called it all those years ago when he first learned the technique. The collision of such strong opposing energy forces nearly shattered the barrier Mei had set up. Not that it was holding up anyway. Since she was knocked out, it was likely the barrier would cave in at any moment. Still, he was glad to see that his _rasengan_ had done some damage for ‘Itachi’ was now a wriggling mass of dough, which appeared to want to reform back into its humanoid shape.

 _Would have been a great time to cast some strong spell,_ Naruto thought feverishly as he eyed the situation; wishing he had paid more attention to those particular lessons back then. If he could at least do something… _something_ to keep the Itachi clone at bay while he dealt with –

“URGH!” 

His world exploded in pain as he was slammed against the wall, or would have if he didn’t brace himself quickly. He spun around, avoiding having his face caved in as his doppelganger delivered yet another blow, only this time its fist found the wall and created a crater deep enough to form troubling cracks along it. 

_How weird to fight against oneself,_ Naruto mused with some irony as he stared at his twin with a cynical smile. _But then again, haven’t I been doing that all these years? I just get to finally do it physically instead of mentally._

He roared and dove for the shapeshifter, channeling all his anger and frustration into the head butt delivered to its torso. Such a move had the thing surprised but just long enough for it to right itself and attack again. 

“You have grown weak,” it taunted as Naruto dodged its roundhouse kick. “You used to be one of the most feared spirit warriors, but look at you now, Uzumaki Naruto. You have allowed yourself yet again to become too attached to humans. Is that why you are holding back? You do not want to hurt the boy even though it’s clear he’s dead?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Naruto growled just as he felt Kurama stir within him. 

“Why continue to protect someone from a clan that’s brought you nothing but pain over the years, Uzumaki Naruto?”

“Shut up!”

“You’ve only been used by the Uchiha. You are nothing but a tool to them. From the moment you were born,” it scorned and revealed fang-like teeth. “Yet you keep running back as if they are bound to deliver you from your personal Hell.”

_(yousonofabitch!)_

“Don’t talk like you know anything about me!”

He bit his thumb quickly and swiped a bloody trail across the marked tattoo slowly becoming visible on his abdomen. The doppelganger noticed the move and hissed in retaliation; hands coming together to form a seal that created two more clones of itself. 

“You piss me off, you know that?” Naruto sneered as Kurama’s chakra began to mingle with his. “Keep using your damn cheap tricks, you disgusting tub of lard!”

He began to form the darker and much ‘heavier’ ball of chakra in his palm; something the doppelgangers obviously couldn’t do for they were still stuck with formations of the basic kind; though with the three of them combined, the damage was still likely to be critical. Unfortunately, the trouble with forming Kurama’s brand of _rasengan_ was that it took just a little bit longer to get to its full potential, and Naruto’s goal was to take them all out in one hit. There was simply no time to fuck around with these things. Mei and Chōjūrō were going to be fine, since they were Immortals, but Sasuke…

_(I have to hurry!)_

_Why bother?_ came the smaller voice within. _You saw the damage inflicted on him. There’s no way he could survive that. You, of all people, should know how destructive your rasengan is. You can see the kid’s bones for God’s sake!_

_(shut up! Shut up! Shut…!)_

“Up!” he bellowed and charged at the trio; the blind rage, that murky shade of scarlet making it all so dangerous to think properly. He watched as the three disintegrated into nothing more than tiny molecules of that damned white substance, and would have congratulated himself on finally eliminating the enemy, when he heard the mocking snigger and surge of energy forming behind him. 

_What the…?!_

“I wouldn’t move an inch if I were you,” came the husky taunt. “I might not be able to produce the enormous amount of chakra with that monster inside of you, but I’m still likely to take you out withrurghagarhg!”

Whatever else he might have said was reduced to nothing more than gurgling gibberish that made no sense. Naruto, whose entire being had tensed at the surprise attack (for the shapeshifter had hidden its true body and had used the three clones as distraction) turned around slowly to notice the blazing bluish tip of a chakra-induced sword pierced right through its chest. There was no blood, but the strike was enough to have ‘Naruto’s’ features slowly morph into the thick white doughy substance, which slowly pooled to the ground around the surprise attacker’s feet.

_(I don’t…I don’t believe it…!)_

Said attacker was barely standing on his feet (or holding onto his sword for that matter), and he was breathing so heavily, he could hardly get a word out. A quick glance behind him showed that the boy had crawled/dragged himself across the street just to get here while they were in the thick of battle. Thick trails of blood coated a visage that was as white as a sheet. His clothing- at least the top half- had been burnt off due to the effect of the _rasengan_ , and his back – though still a sickening sight of singed flesh, muscle, nerves and bone – appeared to be slowly weaving its way back to some semblance of normalcy. However, it appeared as if the boy wasn’t even aware of the stunning metamorphosis taking place. Neither did he appear to be sentient of just _where_ he was. His instincts had simply forced his body to _move_.

“Sas…Sasuke,” Naruto croaked in disbelief; his voice a tremulous whisper from a throat that seemed too tight for anything else to get through. “You…how…?”

Unfocused dark eyes seemed to light up a little at the sound of his name. His lips tried to form some words, but he eventually gave up the fight to continue. The sword clattered to the ground from boneless fingers, and trembling legs had him lurching forward and into the strong arms of the man who had unknowingly given him a new kind of life.

 _You saved me again,_ Naruto thought wildly as he cradled the immobile and clammy body against his as if hoping to give it the warmth it so desperately needed. _Why? And how the hell are you able to…?_

“Look out!” came the loud cry above them.

Instinctively, he shielded Sasuke’s body from whatever was coming; looking up with widened eyes as Sakura delivered the mother of all punches to what appeared to be yet another doppelganger of him. Just how many of these things were there?!

The Itachi clone was now somewhat revived and staggering toward him; a rather disturbing sight of half-humanoid/half-white substance. However, before it could take another step, something dark sliced it in half; causing it to disintegrate into molecular particles. 

Sai landed beside them; paintbrush in hand. Quick motions in the air created a wave of black flames akin to Sasuke’s Amaterasu, and they destroyed whatever little spores the thing had left behind. Once he was sure that was taken care of, he began to strengthen the weakened barrier. 

“Shikamaru and his team are on their way,” he explained quickly. “At least as soon as they finish dealing with the shapeshifters that attacked them en route.”

Sakura, who was busy doing her best to burn off the rest of the white mass with a surge of chakra from her palms, nodded in agreement. “We got wind of the trouble at S.W.A.T and came here as fast as we could. These things have the ability to continue morphing if their substance isn’t completely destroyed. They leave spores that can regenerate endlessly.”

When she was sure she had everything under control, she fell to her knees beside them; her sharp gaze taking in the bloody duo with concern. Naruto looked worse for wear, but she had no doubt he’d recover from his wounds eventually. However, it was Sasuke who had her gasping in dismay; her eyes welling with tears at the terrible blood loss and gaping wound.

“Oh my God,” she whispered and looked up to meet the steady blue eyes. “What happened? I mean…we need to get him back to S.W.A.T. right away! Tsunade-sama might be able to help him. I could try, but I doubt my skills are as advanced as hers. She’ll know what to do. I can teleport us all there -”

“Don’t worry about me,” Naruto interrupted quietly, as he lowered his gaze to the still figure in his arms; unaware of the tenderness in his eyes. “Do what you have to do, Sakura.”

“What about you?” she cried out as her new precious cargo was laid across her lap. “You need to get fixed up too-”

“There’s something I have to do first,” he said as he rose unsteadily to his feet. “I’ll come back to headquarters. Don’t worry. I’m not running away again.”

She bit her lower lip and looked like she was going to argue, but she must have noticed the unspoken request in his eyes, for she simply nodded and vanished from sight without another word.

Once sure she was gone, he gave up the pretense and fell to the ground in exhaustion. It felt like every part of him was going to split open, but he was at least proud he hadn’t completely given in to Kurama this time. He closed his eyes just as he felt the shadow fall over him.

“So stubborn,” Sai muttered as he stooped to his haunches. “Why not go with them?”

Naruto remained silent. He debated on whether or not to tell Sai about Sasuke’s healing ability, but figured it best not to say anything now. He could not be a hundred percent sure, but he felt he might have had something to do with it. After all, if Madara could use him as a human (blood) fountain to replenish himself after every battle, what were the odds that his blood still flowed through the Uchiha clan since then? 

_(But if that’s the case, why couldn’t it cure Itachi’s illness? Or Fugaku’s wounds? Or any other Uchiha I’ve come across over the years?)_

Could it skip generations then? Naruto doubted it. Sasuke was no more special than any other member of his clan, so how the hell had he gotten a hold of his –

“Aaaah damn it,” came the loud but sluggish complaint from across them. Naruto lifted his lashes wearily to notice Mei sitting up slowly to examine the disaster that had once been her shop. She didn’t seem to mind that her dress was ripped in several places, allowing the men a good view of the swell of her full breasts. Chōjūrō was rousing up as well, though he looked like he could use some of Sakura’s healing skills as soon as possible. The poor kid appeared half-dead.

“I’ve contacted the Cleaners,” Sai was saying as Mei finally noticed the duo. “They should be here shortly.”

Mei grimaced but thanked him for his consideration before focusing on the prone blond. “It’s good to see you back again, Naruto. The _real_ you that is.”

He managed to crack a blood-stained smile and a playful wink, while croaking out a, “You know I couldn’t resist stopping by to say hello, Mei-chan. I’ve missed you so much.”

She rolled her eyes and staggered to her feet to help Chōjūrō first. 

“Oh shut up, you troublemaker,” she teased with a heavy sigh. “I might not have much of a home now, but I can patch you up a little. Bring him in, Sai.”

  


* * *

  


 

When he lifted his lashes, it was to find himself in heaven – no make that the soft mounds of Mei’s bosom on which his head was cradled for some reason. He glanced up to see that she was fast asleep; her features relaxing into that of a woman who couldn’t be any older than twenty, though Naruto was sure she was just as old as Tsunade. 

She really was a beauty and he felt himself reluctantly stir at the idea of being so close to her (again). Unfortunately, she wasn’t in anything revealing this time around. She was covered in a pink sweatshirt and jeans that emphasized the strength in her slender thighs. They were on a couch in her private living room – her home beneath the façade of her shop. It had survived the damage from the shapeshifters, and looking around the colorful and eccentric-accessorized space, Naruto was reminded of the first time he was lucky enough to be invited here.

 _How naïve and hopeful I was then,_ he mused with a soft chuckle. For all the stories he had heard about Terumī Mei and her promiscuity, he had assumed she would pounce on him the moment he walked into her lair. Instead, he had been stunned at her wisdom and love for reading; her extensive bookshelf housing works from classic literature to scrolls and texts on the sciences. 

_Mei the Nerd,_ he had privately nicknamed her, as he tried to extricate himself carefully from her clasped hands upon his chest. 

He was clean and now clad in a t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. He lifted the shirt to eye the wound he had received, wincing at the ugly puckered purple bruise left behind. Hopefully, it would clear up by tomorrow. 

He rose to his feet, but froze at the murmured drawl from the ‘sleeping’ woman’s lips. “Where are you going now?”

“Toilet,” he lied quickly.

She nodded slowly and tucked herself in a fetal position to get more comfortable. “See Sai,” she muttered. “He has some news for you from headquarters.”

At that information, his heart jackhammered within his chest with an emotion he hated himself for feeling. 

**(fear)**

_He’s fine,_ he told himself as he forced his feet to move toward her bathroom. _He was healing, wasn’t he? So he’s fine. It’s just good news or why would Mei be sleeping as if she didn’t care?_

And yet, even as he let go of the contents of his bladder, his mind (and heart) churned with that dark, swirling sensation of _helplessness_. Of knowing that nothing he could do now would change the outcome. It was the way he had felt while he watched Itachi dying; of how he foolishly (desperately!) even offered himself as a source of healing. Though it had been years – well, since Madara – he had even considered allowing anyone to taste his blood, he would have gladly given up several pints to keep Itachi breathing. 

_(and now…?)_

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cold wall, as the vision of the Itachi, was slowly replaced by the visage of the younger sibling who was trying so hard to carve his own path in life. 

Memories of their time at Mount Myōboku sped through his mind and not for the first time either. While on his ‘hiatus’ from the kid, every conversation (or argument) he had with Sasuke left him feeling more miserable and _aware_ than ever before. He knew he had promised himself not to get too involved; that he would simply let Kakashi ‘raise’ Sasuke while he continued to watch from afar. That despite his decision anyway, he could never tell Sasuke he had been there on those lonely nights when he had cried himself to sleep, or that he sometimes escorted him to school without making his presence known, or that he had fought and killed some _yōkai_ on his behalf without his knowledge. That he had practically watched Sasuke grow up from that chubby, wailing (obnoxious) infant to the stubborn warrior he had become today. 

Hadn’t he sworn that he would never ever let himself be swayed by such human emotions as love and devotion again?

_(sigh)_

_I really am a lost cause, aren’t I?_

He doubted he was ‘in love’ with the boy (that thought bothered him more than he cared to admit), but he did have a boatload of admiration for him. Besides, anyone who could punch him in the face while calling out his bullshit deserved an award. He almost chuckled at that particular memory, although recalling the tears in Sasuke’s eyes dampened his amusement.

_(how many times have I made you cry? And how many more times will I do it again?)_

He washed his hands and let himself out of the room; fear a tangible weight on his tongue now. He saw Sai sitting in Mei’s living room with Chōjūrō - who was fast asleep - and as their eyes met, Naruto knew without a doubt that his worst nightmare was slowly unraveling.

“She wanted to speak to you in person,” Sai said quietly as he held up his cell phone and connected to Sakura. “I think it’s best she tell you.”

He excused himself with an attempt at a smile, leaving Naruto to clutch the device with fingers that were slowly going numb. 

_It’s all right…it can’t be that bad…and if it is the case, why should I be too disappointed…_

_(a failure)_

_…it’s not as if he’s the first person who has died that you cared about. You should be used to this by now, Naruto. All you have to do is chuck him into the list of those-I-should-not-remember-any-longer. And besides, it’s best this way. He’s the last of his kind. That clan has brought nothing but trouble, and it’s only fitting that he would die in your presence._

“Naru…Naruto?”

Her voice was hoarse and raw from all the crying she must have probably done, and when he called out her name, he was surprised to find his voice was strong and steady; hardly betraying the throbbing ache filling his chest.

“Tsunade-sama…she wants to talk to you…”

Before he could respond, the phone switched hands and his boss’s firm (though weary) voice filled his ear. 

“Are you still at Mei’s place, Naruto?”

“Yes.”

“How are you holding up?”

“I’m talking to you, so that’s a good sign, isn’t it?”

She gave a low ‘tsk’ of disapproval at his sass, but seemed to realize what he must be going through for her voice was a little kinder. “I won’t mince words with you, but the prognosis is not looking good. I was able to find a small trace of your blood in his system, which would explain why he was able to heal a little, but it was just that…a _trace_ , meaning it was hardly enough to finish the job.”

He closed his eyes; the sudden vision of Sasuke lying on a bed surrounded by tubes and wires connected to machines and pumps filling his mind. Maybe Tsunade was transmitting them to him on a psychic level while she spoke, but the sight of the boy – whose face was half-covered with a breathing mask - was more than disheartening. 

_(he looks so damn alone…)_

His fingers dug into his palms, which weren’t even fully recovered yet, allowing his cuts to open again. He hardly felt the blood – this damned cursed blood of his – dripping onto his thigh. 

“…doing all I can, but I cannot make any promises,” Tsunade was saying. She took a deep breath, before adding softly. “He is going to die, Naruto. There is no way around it. I’m…sorry.”

 _Of course you are,_ he thought bitterly. _Aren’t we all?_

“Promise me one thing,” Naruto found himself saying. The strength in his voice was gone. It was a chore to now let any word past lips that felt frozen. “Don’t…please don’t make him choose. Let him be at peace.”

“Naruto -”

“I know the temptation to want an Uchiha on your side is great, but trust me…I’d rather he die as his brother wanted than to join our world for eternity. We can’t do that to him.”

Tsunade said nothing for a long minute, before sighing in agreement. “As you wish. However, will you come to see him?”

“Why?” he asked with a sad smile. “What good does that do? But don’t worry, I’ll try to show up for the funeral, and no, I promise not to disappear for a long time again.”

This, of course, referring to his decision to mourn for Itachi for months on end without letting anyone at headquarters know his whereabouts.

Tsunade seemed satisfied with this. “I’ll put Sakura back on the phone, though the poor child has been sobbing her eyes out since she brought him here. Try to cheer her up, will you?”

But there was no cheering up Sakura, who cried despite Naruto’s attempts to get a word in. He finally settled for clutching the phone in his bleeding palms and closing his eyes as she sobbed out all the ‘fun’ things they had done while he was away. 

_(all the things I should have done if I hadn’t left. It’s all right, Sakura. I know you blame me just as well)_

Regrets. Regrets. Regrets. 

Damn if his life story shouldn’t have that one word stamped all over it. However, in a few days, this too would pass. They would mourn the young man’s passing, shed some more tears, and move on to the next story. 

An era had finally come to its painful conclusion.

  


* * *

  


The bell tolls. It’s the end of another school day.

He grabs his bag and runs out of the classroom. The summer holidays are finally beginning. The air is sticky with heat and sweet with promises that await him later. He nearly leaps off the flight of steps; tiny feet weightless with joy as he spots the familiar figure of his older brother amongst the waiting line of parents. Once upon a time, he might have felt lonely at seeing Mothers and Fathers hugging their children, but it doesn’t bother him so much now. Itachi is all the mother and father he could possibly need, and as he bounds into the waiting arms and allows himself to be twirled around; their happy laughter mingles easily with the others.

“Ready for summer, Sasuke?”

“Yes, _nii-san_!” he cries in delight and wraps his tiny arms tightly around the strong neck. “Let’s have plenty of fun, okay?”

“That’s right, Sasuke,” Itachi whispers in his ear, though his voice seems to be changing somewhat – thicker, slower, as if drunk on something. 

“ _Nii…san?_ ” he calls out tentatively; his voice small and fearful. Is it just him or are the clouds darkening as well? He could have sworn it was a bright summer day just a few minutes ago.

“We’re going to have plenty of fun, aren’t we?” Itachi queries drunkenly.

“You’re hugging me too tight, _nii-san_ ,” he whimpers as he feels those familiar strong arms wrap themselves even tighter around his waist. It’s becoming hard to breathe, and he realizes – with growing alarm – that the once black hair he had buried his face into, is now turning into something white and dough-like. It’s sucking his face in. In fact, it’s sucking his _entire body_ into it, and when Itachi pulls away a little to smile at him; the grotesque mixture of white clay and the melting visage of his brother is enough to have him screaming in horror.

_(I’mgoingtodieI’mgoingtodieI’mgoingtodieI’mgoingto…!)_

“Wake up, Sasuke.”

A hard shake on his shoulder had him lifting his lashes quickly. He blinked hard and tried to make sense of his surroundings. 

“What kind of a dream were you having?” came the quiet question. 

“I…” He gulped and tried to catch his breath; sitting up slowly as the thin blanket slid off his chest to pool around his waist. He ran a trembling hand down his sweat-slicked face and tried to even his breathing.

“I dreamt of something horrible,” he muttered as he finally looked up to meet the amused blue eyes, which looked violet tonight courtesy of the small campfire still flickering between them. He was back in Mount Myōboku after another hard day of training. He was safe here. 

“Really?”

Sasuke nodded and raised his knees to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them tightly, as if hoping to draw some warmth from them.

_(but then again…it really is cold despite the fire. I don’t remember the nights ever being this cold)_

“A nightmare,” he muttered. “It was horrible.”

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with your dear brother, would it?”

He looked up sharply; wanting to scowl at the tone of amusement in that voice. It seemed as if Naruto was mocking him, and he wasn’t sure why. 

“So what if it was about my brother?” he retorted defensively. “What about it?”

Naruto grinned with wicked intent. “You really are still stuck on your dead sibling, aren’t you? What is it? Do you have some kind of brother-complex? Or were you actually dreaming about me?”

Sasuke felt the color flood his cheeks and he scowled. “That is disgusting. I would never think of my brother in that light, and secondly, I was not dreaming about you.” Except he hated the way the last bit sounded; so breathless and probably a dead giveaway that there had, _indeed_ , been some nights when the blond had infiltrated his very non-PG dreams. 

“It’s all right to admit your feelings for me, Sasuke,” Naruto drawled and suddenly moved closer to lean over the stunned young man before him. “We are both adults here, aren’t we?”

_(wha…what?! What the hell is going on?!)_

“Come now,” Naruto crooned and licked his lips slowly; eyes darkening with an expression that sent a wave of heat so strong coursing through Sasuke’s body, he became light-headed. Naruto positively looked ready to _devour_ him. “Entertain me, Uchiha Sasuke.”

“Wai…wait…this isn’t…sto…stop…please!”

But Naruto wasn’t listening, for his lips had found the sensitive region behind his right ear and neck, to latch onto it as if hoping to suck the very skin right off. 

_(oh God…!)_

He slapped his trembling hands against the strong chest and tried to push him away, and yet nerve endings tingled with a pleasure and desire so potent, he was helpless to the breathless sigh and whimper to escape his lips. His groin throbbed, swelled and ached for the older man.

_(but this isn’t like him…this isn’t the way Naruto would act)_

“Sto…stop,” he panted and pushed even harder. “We shouldn’t…wha…what?! Aaaaah!”

His hands, which had hoped to meet solid flesh and muscle, now appeared to be sinking into Naruto’s body as if kneading soft clay. Sasuke tried to yank them out, but they were tugged in even more until he was up to his elbows.

“Let me go!” he screamed and screamed even louder when this ‘thing’ sank its teeth into his neck and tore out a chunk of his flesh. It pulled away with a delighted bloody grin and spat away his prize. Sasuke felt himself being drained of his life force as the thick warmth of his blood poured down his torso.

_(I’mdyingohGodpleaseI’mdyingandithurtssoverymuchsoverymuchsoverymuch)_

This thing was moving in again; fangs bared and ready to seemingly bite his very face off.

 _Please! Somebody! Help me!_ he begged to no one in particular. Desperate and panicked as he grew weaker. 

_I don’t want this! Please get me out of here! Get me out of here!_

  


* * *

  


 

“Death, as they say, is only a passing phase of one’s journey through this thing called Life.”

There was the faint strike of a match, a hissing flame, and soon the sweet smell of tobacco filtering into his dulled senses. The smoker inhaled greedily and let it out with a soft sigh of enjoyment.

“No one ever said it wouldn’t be a painful process getting through it.”

_(that voice)_

Sasuke lifted his lashes and was rewarded with pitch darkness. For a second, he wondered if this was yet another phase of his nightmares, but as he forced himself to think rationally, he realized he had experienced something like this before…

_(Naruto’s death)_

Except unlike Naruto who had felt like he was weighed down by a ton of bricks, Sasuke was able to move a little, but just enough to be able to turn his head left and right to see who owned the voice. 

“Where…are you?” he asked hoarsely. Damn if his throat didn’t feel like it was on fire.

“In here with you,” the voice continued. “But you cannot see me because I am a part of your subconscious. We are in that realm between Life and Death; where your Willpower struggles to keep you alive while your earthly body demands to be released from its unbearable burden.”

“I know,” Sasuke replied softly. “I’ve experienced it before, Jiraiya-sama.”

There was a pregnant silence of surprise before the voice returned. “You have, have you? Dare I ask how?”

Sasuke shook his head slowly. “It doesn’t matter now, but I know what you’ve come for. You want to give me the opportunity to become Immortal, don’t you?”

Jiraiya paused again before replying carefully. “Perhaps.”

Sasuke’s brows met in consternation. “What do you mean?”

“We received a request from someone asking I not give you the choice. He feels it is best to let you die naturally instead of being forced to live for eternity regretting your decision.”

Sasuke knew – even before the other man was finished – just who was responsible for such a request. His first instinct was to be furious at Naruto’s suggestion, but then again –

“I can understand his reason for being so cautious,” Jiraiya continued quietly, and this time it was his voice that seemed full of doubt and regret. “When I gave him the choice, I knew he would accept without hesitation for his mind and thoughts were simply filled with the need for revenge. All I had to do was tap into that need and his response would be obvious.” There was a heavy sigh. “Years later, once those fires were finally quenched and I had done all I could for him, I realized there was nothing left. **He** realized there was nothing left, and  that he was cursed to spend the rest of his life simply… _living_. Often I wonder if I did a good thing allowing him to survive; that perhaps the world would have been a better place without Uzumaki Naruto’s legacy. Yet when I see him do good things, when I see the smiles he brings to faces – ever the reluctant hero – I tell myself I did what was best. His joy comes from protecting those that mean a lot to him, and despite his better judgment, it has somehow always come down to your clan.”

Sasuke digested this in silence for a part of him knew just why Naruto’s life was always going to be intertwined with that of the Uchiha.

“The fight,” he finally asked hoarsely. “The fight with Madara…what really happened?”

Jiraiya did not speak for a minute. “I wish I could tell you, Sasuke,” he finally replied softly. “I was not there, and I doubt there were any other witnesses at the time. By the time I arrived, it was to see Naruto – quite bloody and battered – sitting beside the prone and nearly unrecognizable body of Madara. He had gone into Kurama-mode at some point, and I believe that was what finally killed your ancestor, but do not take my word for it. Naruto has refused to reveal what happened then, or perhaps he simply doesn’t remember. Whenever he transforms, he is no longer himself and cannot recall events that take place during the fight.” 

“Madara had the ability to kill him, didn’t he? He knew the seals to eliminate Immortals, didn’t he? Why do you think he never used it on Naruto?”

“I think you know as well as I do why he couldn’t get himself to finally do it,” came the quiet response. “Madara, for all his pomp and circumstance, and self-righteous bullheaded stubborn ways, always did retain a soft spot for Naruto. So who knows? Perhaps that one moment of hesitation during the fight was all it took for Kurama to finish the deal, and perhaps a subconscious part of Naruto feels guilty at that truth, which is why he feels the need to watch over your clan.

“Unfortunately, the irony of Madara wanting to keep Naruto for himself and denying the Senju the right to reclaim him, was almost laughable. Who was in the right, I ask you? Both clans wanted Naruto, but for the wrong reasons. On the surface, they simply needed him as a weapon; that was all Naruto was back then – a weapon manufactured from a dangerous yet magnificent clan. A clan blessed with longevity, whose blood could heal rapidly, and whose bodies could sustain such powerful spiritual creatures. Naruto was perfect in every way! The poor child.”

Jiraiya sighed again. “He always knew – and even ‘til today – knows that his worth is simply that of being used by others. I did my best to convince him otherwise. Took him all around the world, exposed him to other cultures, tried to expand his mind beyond the walls of his self-imposed prison. I wanted to make him believe that he was so much more than Kurama, that he could fight on his own without relying on the beast within him, that he was more than just a weapon. I dare say it was finally your older brother who managed to poke through that shell of his and made him feel more ‘human’ than ever before. While the previous generations of your ancestors held Naruto at arm’s length and treated him as nothing more than a parasite, despite the number of times he saved them, Itachi dared to reach beyond the surface to find that still faint but beating human heart within.”

Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to ignore the ache in his chest.

_Itachi. Itachi. Itachi._

It always came down to his older brother, didn’t it? Itachi was the one to change Naruto. Itachi was the one to fall in love with Naruto. Itachi was the one Naruto had really wanted in return, and with his death, Naruto had fallen back into old habits of not letting anyone in. All because of Itachi.

_(damn it!)_

For the first time in his life, Sasuke felt he could hate his brother for interfering with his life.

_(how petty)_

So why the fuck did his throat feel so constricted? Why couldn’t he breathe? Why did it hurt so much?

_(because I was never given the chance to prove myself to him. I wanted…just a little bit to be able to imprint a part of myself in his heart too. No, let’s be honest here, Uchiha Sasuke. I want him to **forget** about my brother and to think of **me** alone. I don’t want to share him with anyone. Not ever. But now…now…)_

“Goddamnit,” he whispered as his voice broke and his breath hitched. It was humiliating to cry over something so stupid, but he didn’t want it to end like this. He wanted to _live_. Perhaps once upon a time he had walked around like a zombie wishing a car would run him over, but no longer. He now had a reason to want to keep on breathing, and that reason was alive and well and in desperate need of him (no matter how much he tried to deny it).

“Your feelings for him are that strong,” Jiraiya stated; for there was no doubt in it. “It was why you were able to stand and defeat the enemy during  your last fight without hesitation. You were dying and yet all you could think about was helping him.”

Sasuke could not respond. What could he say anyway? Jiraiya was right. 

“His blood,” the other man was saying. “Actually gave you the extra strength to move. You must have tasted some of it during the fight at some point. You were even able to heal a little, but not much.”

_(tasted his blood? When…?)_

The sudden image of Naruto appearing before him to accept the brunt of the fake Itachi’s attack, flashed through his mind. Hadn’t Naruto’s blood dripped on his face then? Hadn’t he had a little taste of it then? So that would explain it!

“Your body is still dying,” Jiraiya continued. “Just a drop was not enough to do the trick. This is your unfortunate reality, Uchiha Sasuke.”

Another image, this time of him – at least his physical body – lying on a hospital bed, where every part of him seemed connected to some kind of IV or electrical monitoring equipment. His hair looked so black against the paleness of his flesh and the white sheets, and he was only breathing thanks to the mask placed over his face. Sakura was by his side; her features weary and reddened with her sorrow. She wouldn’t even tear her gaze away from him when Tsunade, Shizune and two other nurses walked into the room to observe his fading vital signs. 

“You have less than an hour in the earthly realm, Sasuke,” Jiraiya was saying. “I know we were asked not to pressure you into doing this, but this is your decision to make and not his. Just know that whichever choice you make, it is irreversible…”

“I’ve already made my choice,” came the quiet statement as Sasuke closed his eyes to clear out the vision of his dying self. “I made it in Mount Myōboku to the Great Toad Sage, and I already knew my Fate before today.”

“To be with him for all eternity? Even if he is against it?”

“I am my own person, Jiraiya-sama. I can make my own decisions, and this is what I choose.”

He could ‘hear’ the smile in the voice.

“Your mortal life will end today once that choice is made, my boy. You will eternally remain as a seventeen-year-old even if your mind and heart ages as the years go by. You will no longer see the world as others do, and you will be forced to watch those that you care about die. Is this a burden you are willing to accept?”

“Yes.”

“Then so be it, Uchiha Sasuke.” 

He stiffened as he felt a presence now over him. It was almost suffocating; as if being crushed by an unseen weight. There was a surge of heat to overwhelm him, before he felt the familiar sensation of a hand upon his chest…right above his heart.

“Now bear with this a little,” Jiraiya was saying. “It would have been much better if I was physically beside you, but since I am not, it is going to force me to use more chakra than I normally would. It is going to be extremely painful -”

“What…what are you going to do?” he whispered fearfully.

“Just a little seal to go into your heart,” came the quiet explanation as the pressure upon his chest increased. Sasuke could feel the scream bubbling within him as Jiraiya pressed harder. He could hear something cracking –

_(bones…my sternum…crushing it…oh God…I can’t bear it!)_

“Not everyone survives this process, for not everyone can become Immortal. Some even die all over again after a few days. You must be strong in spirit and mind to be able to deal with this. Now take a deep breath, my boy, and this will be all over…”

A hard push and the world went blinding white for the young man, whose lips parted in a howl of agony that was likely to shatter the heavens.

 

  


* * *

  


 

In the hospital room, the EKG machine suddenly gave a loud bleep and proceeded to lose its mind.

Sakura, who had been in a deep funk, snapped up at the sound; the chair she was sitting on tipping over as she rose to her feet with her heart in her throat.

The green lines on the screen, which had once been a steady straight line with an intermittent hump, showing some  heart activity, was now a beehive of skittering waves as if unable to keep up with just how hard the young man’s heart was beating. 

Tsunade, who had left the room just a minute earlier, flew back in to watch the transformation with a slight shake of her head. 

Damn Jiraiya and his impatience, but still…

_(I guess he made his choice after all. Sorry, Naruto)_

“Oh God…” came the low gasp as Sakura’s eyes welled with tears again; only this time, they were for a whole other reason. 

The EKG monitor had finally calmed down to normal, just as long lashes opened slowly to reveal glazed dark eyes that blinked a few times. Spots of color were appearing on his flesh, which had earlier been clammy and gray in pre-death. He expelled a gust of breath, and the girl was quick to unhook the breathing apparatus to reveal his face completely. He turned his head a little to look into the tearful and smiling visage above him.

“Sa…Sakura?” came the hoarse greeting, which was rewarded with a wail of relief as she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. IV lines (which toppled to the floor by the way) be damned. 

Sasuke was back, and that was all that really mattered.

 

  


* * *

  


 

Several hours later, he was wolfing down his _third_ plate of _omurice_ , while washing it down with his fifth bottle of soda. He had never felt this hungry in his life…well previous life… before. But then again, food had never really tasted this… _rich_ and delightful either.

Sakura and Sai watched on in amusement, and exchanged quick looks with each other before smiling in understanding. Though it had been ages since their transformations, they could relate to how Sasuke was feeling right now. There was the ravenous need to consume anything edible in sight, and that was only after having to get used to the new ‘color’ of the world they had once known. There was always that soft haze of purple (or lilac), though it didn’t interfere much with their daily activities.

However, Sasuke had told them something strange when he was prodded back at the S.W.A.T hospital. 

“I don’t notice anything different,” he had confessed after several eye exams. “I thought my world was supposed to be a different shade or something?”

Tsunade and Jiraiya had been stumped at this, but eventually deduced that it was perhaps due to the unique eye qualities of the Uchiha clan. Since no one else in their history had chosen to become Immortal, Sasuke was really the first guinea pig ever. 

“Then explain the Hyūga clan,” Sakura had queried. “You’d think their vision would be perfect too, but they see the same things we do.”

“The Uchiha have far more superior eye techniques than the Hyūga. Over the centuries, they have evolved and made their vision even more unique, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise,” Jiraiya had mused in response. “At least for now, he seems to be handling it well. Let’s just monitor him for any after effects, all right?”

So far, there had been no bad side-effects. Sasuke was adjusting just fine. His first stop? To satiate this hunger once and for all.

“I can’t wait to see Naruto’s face when he sees you,” Sakura gushed in excitement. “He’s going to flip…”

But Sasuke was shaking his head and holding up his hand as he downed the rest of his drink. When finished, he cleared his throat and couldn’t seem to meet Sakura’s eyes as he muttered a low “not yet.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“I’m not ready,” Sasuke replied, wondering why the sudden idea of seeing the older man now made him nervous as hell. He rubbed slightly sweaty palms down his thighs and took a deep breath. “Just…give me some time, okay?”

“Looks like you won’t need to worry about that,” Sai said cryptically, causing Sakura and Sasuke to look up in bemusement.

“What do you mean?” Sakura asked, but she needn’t have, for her gaze was already following Sai’s which was directed outside the window of the restaurant.

Just crossing the street, and heading right toward them, was the very man in question; looking rather dapper in a beige dress-shirt and black pants. However he wasn’t alone, for draped on his arm was none other than Mei; looking breathtaking in a simple print summer dress that exposed her legs and arms to anyone willing to view (and there were quite a few admiring views at that). They seemed to be laughing over something; or rather she laughed while Naruto gave a small smile. Either way it was enough to give anyone the impression that they were quite a dashing (loving) couple.

Something shattered, forcing Sakura to tear her (slightly envious) gaze away from the sight to what was the cause of it. 

“Sas…Sasuke…are you all righ-?”

“I’m fine,” came the quiet words as he reached for a napkin to wipe the droplets of blood on his palms caused apparently from how hard he had been squeezing the empty bottle. He rose abruptly to his feet. “Would you excuse me for a moment? I have to use the restroom.”

He was off before they could stop him, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the collision to take place anyway. For just as the couple stepped into the dining area, Sasuke brushed right past them with a glare enough to freeze steam. The responding expressions were priceless; sufficient to make Sai wish he had a camera to capture the moment for posterity.

_(an eternity for those two?)_

This was going to be fun.


	13. Indigo

She would find him fast asleep by the window; Sai’s cell phone still held within his bloody grasp. Tendrils of pre-dawn light flickered across exhausted features, revealing what appeared to be streaks of dried tears on his scarred cheeks (though it might have just been a play of the light for she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen the man shed a tear for anything). Strained recollections aside, she was astute enough to know that his aura was anything but its usual welcoming warmth. It appeared to have dimmed a little; as if struggling to hold on to its usual strength.

_(nothing but the embers of a dying flame eager to roar again)_

Her heart stirred.

 _You poor thing,_ she thought sadly, reaching out to brush aside the stray strands of hair across his cheek tenderly. _Why do you allow yourself to suffer so much? No matter how hard you try, you can never eliminate that inherent trait you so wish to destroy. It’s your ability to love, to give love, and to seek it desperately that brings you such despair, Uzumaki Naruto. Yet it is your most magnificent gift, which draws everyone to you, whether you like it or not._

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on the one-sided conversation, but on her way to the kitchen for some early morning coffee, she had heard his anxious plea to Tsunade regarding the dying mortal boy. 

_/”Promise me one thing. Don’t…please don’t make him choose. Let him be at peace.”/_

At peace? What peace? Where was the peace in this world of theirs? Was he still willing to think in such naïve terms? She really had no idea why Naruto would wish for such a thing when many knew having Sasuke by his side would be beneficial in the long run. Why be so selfless? 

_(or is there something else you’re really afraid of when it comes to the boy?)_

She took a deep breath and shook him gently. “You’ll catch a cold if you remain here, Naruto. You can at least sleep on the couch if you won’t accept the futon Chōjūrō set up for you.”

His lashes lifted slowly; twin cerulean depths glazed with a layer of weariness. He tipped his head in her direction; his unfocused gaze unable to appreciate her close proximity.

“Hold on,” Mei was saying. “I’ll wipe away the bloodstains…goodness; you even got them on my window seat.”

He remained silent as she tended to his wounds. He might have muttered a “thanks” when she was done, but she couldn’t tell. He only shuffled his way to the futon when she was through and buried himself beneath the comforter as if hoping to shield himself away from the world. 

By noon, however, she began to lose her patience. Half of the day was already gone, and Naruto was still buried away in his self-pity funk. 

Chōjūrō, who was helping to sweep up the storefront (the Cleaners had worked tirelessly through the night and the store was more or less back to normal), noticed his scowling mistress with concern.

“Mei-sama?” he asked tentatively, as he watched her clip the branches of a bonsai plant with more ferocity than was needed.

“Just how long does he plan to mope over the boy?” she snapped and chopped off another branch. The poor plant looked more like a mushroom now.

Chōjūrō cleared his throat. “They appeared to be quite close -”

“Yes, I’m sure they were the best of friends. However, we need him to be back to himself as soon as possible. We’ve got our hands full with these shape shifters going around and causing havoc, and with The Calm approaching, we need Naruto to pull himself together fast.”

“But isn’t he the most dangerous at that time?” Chōjūrō asked with a light frown. “I heard the monster within him gets more active and tries to take over his body then.”

Mei sighed and dropped the shears. “Yes. But can you imagine if Naruto continues to remain this passive, just what could happen if he doesn’t even try to put up a fight against Kurama? That beast could consume him completely and the effects could be irreversible. The Naruto you know will no longer exist!”

Chōjūrō winced. “So what do you suggest we do?”

“Get him out of bed for one thing,” she huffed and took off her gloves. “I’m going to force him to cheer up whether he wants to or not.”

Thirty long minutes later (for the blond could really be a stubborn asshole when he chose to be), Mei congratulated herself on accomplishing a minor miracle. Though he still looked like he hadn’t slept in days, she had done her best to bathe and dress him in items of clothing she kept around (just in case the ‘right man’ ever came along). Not that she would ever tell anyone that she was still waiting for the man-of-her-dreams.

“I still don’t know why we have to go out to eat,” Naruto grumbled as he tucked the shirt into his pants. “We can just order something, can’t we?”

“It’s a beautiful summer afternoon,” Mei argued as she flounced back into the room, now changed into a pretty summer dress that revealed her curvaceous figure to its fullest. She twirled around for him. “What do you think?”

“You look good,” he praised with a small smile and a slight shake of his head. 

He wasn’t a fool. He realized what she was doing, and a part of him was grateful for her attention and attempts to make him feel better. He doubted he’d be able to convey just how deep his fears went; that a part of him was sure that Tsunade (and Jiraiya) had ignored his request anyway. He couldn’t claim to be a psychic, but he had a damn good feeling that Sasuke was no longer on the threshold of death. If he had given in to that, he was sure he would have received yet another tearful phone call from Sakura by now. 

_(damn)_

“Let’s go!” Mei cried out in excitement, as she draped her arm around his and led him outside to a world that knew no better of the dangers it faced. “I’m taking you to my favorite restaurant ever. You’ll love their variety of meals.”

“…is ramen a part of the menu?” he asked while sliding into the passenger’s side of her blood-red convertible. Someone really did know how to show off, didn’t they?

She slapped his arm playfully and rolled her eyes, before sliding on a pair of oversized sunglasses. “You and your ramen fetish. I’m going to get you to eat something that’s not related to the pasta family, and you’re going to enjoy it, Mister.”

With that declaration, she sped through the streets of Kyoto; Naruto glad he had the good sense to buckle up as she swerved dangerously and seemed oblivious to the rules of traffic. It was a major feat that they received no citations, but then again, Naruto was sure Mei would have sweet-talked (cast a spell) on the unfortunate officer to dare stop her. 

“Doesn’t it feel good to be out and about?” she asked with a smile thrown in his direction. “I know last night was a harrowing experience, but it’s not the first time you’ve had to deal with such a thing, right?”

“Which part?” Naruto asked with a wry smile. “Fighting with my look-a-like or…?” His words trailed off as he hesitated to say “watching Sasuke die”. 

She knew anyway. “Do you really think he’s still dead?”

He captured his lower lip between his teeth and refused to answer that. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he finally muttered beneath his breath when she threw a knowing glance at him. He turned away and pressed himself closer to the door, as if hoping to not just avoid her looks, but that massive mane of hair that kept whipping across his face. She could at least put the roof up again. “He’ll have to deal with the consequences of becoming the undead like us.”

“The Undead,” she scoffed and licked her lips. “How cheap-horror-movie like. Immortals sound so much sexier, don’t you think?”

She screeched her way into a parking spot and stepped out of the vehicle to offer her arm to him, when he could finally extricate himself, from his seat, while checking to see if he had broken anything from her mad driving skills. 

Ignoring her would have been rude, so he settled for acting like the loving boyfriend; her conversation and laughter making up for his quiet responses as they walked through the bustling city and toward their final destination. If he was aware of the appreciative looks they received, he couldn’t be bothered. _Yōkai_ flittered here and there; his primal instincts to go after them, especially the ones that teetered on being malevolent. Their smells didn’t bother him, not as much as the reminder of how ‘scentless’ the shape shifters were. It was what made them much more difficult to pinpoint. That any of these ‘humans’ walking around them could actually suddenly turn on them…

“Here we are,” Mei announced with a flourish as they approached a pleasant-looking eatery appropriately called _“Kōfuku no Kōnā”_ (Corner of Happiness). Its interior gave off the vibe of hoping to attract the young at heart (or really color-blind folks, for the clash of hues were beyond one’s comprehension). A catchy pop song blasted from unseen speakers, waiters and waitresses skipped around in butler and maid outfits any otaku would have appreciated, the walls were adorned with bright posters of what meals they had to offer or photographs of famous celebrities who had stopped by to bless the restaurant with their presence in the past. Most of the booths were filled with hungry customers, and there was a general atmosphere of gaiety and joy that stirred something warm in Naruto’s heart. 

Hell, even the _yōkai_ in here didn’t seem to care that two more spirit warriors had stopped by, for their auras were too weak to be a nuisance. 

“Why don’t you find us a table,” Mei was saying. “I’ll just go to the restroom to freshen up…ooh!”

Her ‘ooh’ had him looking away from a particularly interesting photograph of one of his favorite comedians (who knew Hanase-sensei enjoyed pancakes so much?) to what had captured her attention. 

“What’s wrong…?” he began, only for the words to get stuck in his throat as a pair of oh-so-very-familiar dark eyes met his for the briefest (and coldest) of moments, before their owner barged his way through a set of double-doors leading to the men’s room.

_(…fuck)_

“Well, either that’s a very good shape shifter who wanted nothing of us, or that was the very boy you were crying over last night, Uzumaki Naruto,” Mei said with amusement in her voice once the shock was over. Her gaze drifted over the diner until it fell on the couple still at the booth. With a wide smile, she waved her hand in greeting; ignoring the curious looks that came their way. “If it isn’t Sakura and Sai. Then I guess that really was the real Sasuke. Let’s join them!”

“Maybe we should…” Naruto tried to argue, but Mei was already making her way toward the spirit warriors, while he debated on whether or not to follow the boy who had obviously got something stuck up his ass. What was he so pissed off about anyway? 

He took a deep breath and made up his mind.

Confrontation first.

Except by the time he got to the restroom, Sasuke had pinned a much bigger man against the wall - by his neck - and was in the process of yanking out a screeching _yōkai_ until it was blasted away with a surge of his chakra. He carefully let the comatose man back to the floor and stepped back, and without looking at Naruto, he stated calmly.

“It tried to attack me when I came in here.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me -”

“So why are you here?”

“Why were you frowning? You always frown when you have to take a leak?”

“It’s none of your business if I choose to frown during my personal toilet affairs.”

“Oh right. I forgot. That’s just the way your face is ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time.”

“I have a right to keep my face however I choose to.”

“Geez. You’re just back from the dead, and you still haven’t lost that damn attitude of yours.”

“Geez. I’m barely dead and you’re already in the arms of someone else.”

“Huh?”

Sasuke cursed beneath his breath and made his way to a urinal. “Nothing.”

Naruto hissed and made to stand in the next urinal just as the door opened and two laughing men walked in to join them. Though he hadn’t felt the urge to do so, as he unzipped he figured he might as well. 

“I don’t know what you’re getting all pissed off about,” he growled beneath his breath for Sasuke’s ears only, but then again, considering their two new companions were too busy cracking loud lewd jokes –

“It’s okay, Naruto. I am more than aware of your need to block out things that are ‘unpleasant’ to you,” Sasuke growled back. He shook himself, staring morosely at the stains he had created on the wall, before zipping up again. “I just didn’t expect you to be so ready to say goodbye that quickly.”

Naruto raised a brow in bemusement as he met the dark eyes that seemed to swirl with so many unspoken questions, but there was no denying the flicker of an emotion he could recognize as hurt before it was masked with indifference. He groaned inwardly and looked away. 

_(teens and their goddamn hormones)_

_But then again, it could just be an Uchiha thing._

“There’s nothing between Mei and I,” he muttered as he zipped up and joined Sasuke at the sink. Their companions were still cackling amongst themselves and both spirit warriors noticed their _yōkai_ was just as fun-loving. Nothing to worry about. 

“Not that it’s any of your business who I choose to date anyway.”

“I don’t care who you choose to date,” came the clipped retort. “I just assumed you’d have the decency to at least come see me -”

“What did you expect? A bouquet of roses at your bedside? Me sniffling and sobbing over you like Sakura?”

“Is it too much to ask for your own teacher to show up at your ‘funeral’?!” came the impatient snap. “Would it have killed you to just make that one pit stop even if it was for five minutes?”

“What’s the point? You’re here now, aren’t you?! Even after-”

“Oh that’s right,” Sasuke sneered. “You told Jiraiya-sama not to let me make a choice, right?  You were so concerned about me, weren’t you? Give me a break.”

Naruto yanked several napkin sheets with more force than necessary. This kid was really –

“Well congratulations, Uchiha Sasuke. Welcome to the land of the Immortals.” He made a show of bowing, though his features were taut with barely controlled irritation. “You’ve made your choice, so now you’ve got to live with it. If you were expecting me to jump for joy and swing you all over the place, you’re following the wrong story route. There is no such thing as happily-ever-after in this game you’ve stepped into, so buckle up and get ready for one hell of a bumpy-ri-”

“Now, now, you two,” came the sudden drawl as an arm was thrown over his shoulder and the other around an equally stunned Sasuke. It was one of the other men, who was now grinning at them with a slow nod.

“Looks like you two just need to kiss and make up, eh? Nothing is worth getting this upset over, right Mako-chan?”

“Right, Rei-chan!” the other man hailed with a thumbs-up sign and a matching cheesy grin. 

“I know what!” Rei said with a snap of his fingers as he pulled Naruto closer to him. “How about we do something for you guys? You can come to our club this weekend, eh? Mako-chan? Do you have any extra tickets in your pocket for these boys?”

Mako dug around in his jeans for a moment; his features contorted into one of concentration. Finally, he pulled out two small white tickets, which he handed to Naruto with a polite bow of his head. 

Not sure if he had stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone, Naruto accepted and stared numbly at the fine print.

**ABYSS**  
 **BOYS NIGHT OUT!**  
 **Saturday 11pm – 6am**  
 **COME DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!**  
 **FORGET YOUR WORRIES!**  
 **Free Drinks after 11:30pm**  
 **[Dress to Impress!]**

“See?” Rei breathed into his ear, sending a reluctant shiver of awareness down the blond’s spine at the sensation. “Just the perfect place to let loose and have a little fun, eh? We look forward to seeing you and your sexy, brooding twink.”

He squeezed Naruto’s shoulder and dared to place a light kiss on Sasuke’s forehead, though he was lucky he didn’t stick around a second later or he might have gotten a very hard punch to the face for that stunt. Sasuke’s fists had been forming from the moment the man touched him.  

Naruto was still staring at the tickets while Sasuke wiped his forehead over and over, and when his fingers weren’t good enough, reached for a napkin – wet it – and proceeded to scrub off the tainted spot.

_(sexy, brooding twink? Dear God)_

“Great,” Naruto finally growled as he tossed the tickets onto the counter. The man Sasuke had knocked out earlier was beginning to rouse out of his stupor. “Now we get invited to a gay club.  Unbe-fucking-livable.”

Not waiting for the boy, he excused himself from the restroom and breathed in a lungful of air as if the one in there had suffocated him, and perhaps it had. Not for the first time, he was realizing just how much being in Sasuke’s presence made him want to go extreme with his emotions. There was no mid-point with the kid. 

The door behind him opened, and a shoulder bumped hard into him almost sending him slamming into the wall. He scowled and looked up to meet the defiant dark eyes.

“Sorry,” Sasuke said, though he looked anything but. He was walking backward slowly, but with his middle fingers raised in a salute Naruto was all too familiar with. “I know what route I’ve chosen in this game, and I’m going to get my good ending even if it means dragging your ass along with me, Naruto. I plan on being your worst nightmare.”

And with an added blown kiss in his direction, Sasuke spun on his heels and made his way back to the dining area; leaving a flabbergasted _sensei_ to watch after him in silence.

__

 

“Took you two long enough,” Mei burped around her second glass of vanilla milkshake, when the two men finally joined the table. “I was beginning to wonder if giving each other blow jobs took that long.”

Sakura choked on her drink. Sai allowed himself a small smile. Sasuke turned a bright red, and Naruto was still too busy ruminating over Sasuke’s words that he barely acknowledged Mei’s teasing. 

“Mei-sama!” Sakura finally hissed; though her cheeks were warm. 

“Oh come now,” the older woman said with a laugh, wishing it was ‘happy hour’ where she could order something alcoholic. It was still too early in the day and despite her many attempts to order just a little hint of vodka in her shake, the manager had declined. Boo! “Surely you can’t tell me you’re still a virgin after a hundred years, young lady?”

Sakura sputtered. “I am not…!”

“Then we’re all adults here, and we’ve got nothing to hide,” Mei cut in as she leaned closer to Naruto to nuzzle him playfully. “But don’t worry,” she added quickly with a smile at Sasuke. “I promise not to make any moves on him. Hopefully, he explained all that to you in the restroom.”

It was Naruto who finally cut in with a firm but low “Mei”, which had the woman pouting and sitting upright with a sigh.

“All right. All kidding aside, I’m glad you’re all here so I can get this out of the way.” She finished up her drink and proceeded to cast a spell that would render their conversation unheard to human (or _yōkai_ ) ears. “I’ll go straight to the point. The Calm is less than a week away.”

At that, they all seemed to straighten up a little more; their gazes trained on her, though Naruto appeared to be staring at his glass of water intently. 

“We all know the chaos that happens in the spirit world that night, and I’m sure S.W.A.T has probably made plans to keep Naruto under its protection then. Yes?” She looked at Sakura as she asked this, and the pink-haired girl nodded.

“Fair enough,” Mei continued quietly. “However, this year might be even more troubling for we have the new problem of the shape shifters. With most spirit warriors weakened and unable to fight, it’s likely that more of them will show up to eliminate them. I know Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi and the others have been doing their best all this time to find their source, but no luck yet, correct?”

“Correct,” Sai responded with a slow nod. “We’ve gone as far as Antarctica and even the South Sea Islands, but no one has been able to find anything. Samples we’ve received only show that these things come from a plant that’s never been recorded in the history books. Just where is it coming from?”

Mei glanced at Sasuke. “Perhaps this thing…is much closer than we think.”

Sasuke held her gaze prisoner; his voice giving nothing away as he replied carefully. “If you mean those cryptic words you showed me yesterday…they still mean nothing to me.”

“You did not discover anything from Itachi?” Sai queried with a light frown. 

Sasuke shook his head, but was able to catch the dark look Naruto threw his way before the blue eyes were lowered again. His heart skipped a beat for he knew he was treading on dangerous ground. It wasn’t as if he didn’t trust them, but at this time –

“Nothing that should concern you,” Sasuke replied with a light shrug. “Most of my family’s records were destroyed in the fire. We barely managed to salvage anything, and Itachi wasn’t much of a writer. If there were any secrets he had to reveal, he took them to his grave.”

“So we are at a dead end,” Mei moaned and slumped her head onto the table; narrowly missing dunking her face into a half-finished place of chicken teriyaki. 

“Gi…” Sasuke began and then cleared his throat as all eyes were immediately fixed on him. He felt his cheeks grow hot, but he plodded on. “Give me some more time to search.”

“More time? _More time?!_ How much more time do you need? We need to figure something out before The Calm!”

“Give the boy some time like he says,” Naruto said curtly; his tone more authoritative than ever before and enough to have Mei blushing at the reprimand. “I’m sure he’ll be able to figure out something by then.”

“But what about you?”

“What about me?”

“The Ca -”  
  
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Naruto interrupted with a wave of his hand. He was already sick of the damn ‘event’ because it was always the worst time for him anyway. Maybe a small part of him really didn’t want to make it through this time around. “For now, I suggest we all split. We’re beginning to draw more and more restless _yōkai_ this way, and I really need to take a nap. It’s been one hell of a past twenty-four hours.”

He rose to his feet and held out his hand to Mei. “I’ll escort you to your car.” 

He offered to pay, apologizing for interrupting their lunch, before leading the woman out of the building. 

The trio watched them leave, though Sakura observed that Sasuke didn’t appear to be as upset as he had been earlier. She wasn’t sure what they had discussed in the restroom, though she doubted anything lewd had gone on between them. She was already more than aware of the teenager’s feelings for the older man, and though a part of her was always going to feel a sense of resentment, she could at least try to encourage him even if it seemed one-sided for now.

“Would you like to go back to your apartment, Sasuke?” she finally asked with a smile. 

Sasuke finally tore his gaze from the couple to nod slowly. “Yeah…why not? I need a change of clothes anyway. This stuff itches.”

Sai made a face, for the ‘stuff’ was actually his clothes, and he didn’t appreciate them being called ‘itchy’. He gripped about that on the way to Sasuke’s apartment, much to his companions’ amusement (for it was rare to get Sai riled up about anything). Sasuke apologized profusely and promised to get Sai even better clothes when he was paid, but that didn’t seem to help matters either.

He would later leave with Sakura, promising never to lend Sasuke his clothes again even if he was the last man on earth.

__

 

_I am dead._

He stared at the soapsuds enveloping him.

_No…I am **undead.**_

He scooped up some in his palms and blew on them gently; watching the bubbles float into the air before dissipating into nothingness.

_I am **Immortal**._

His lips twitched at how that sounded in his head. It was like something out of a really bad movie, but the temptation to test this out…to see if he couldn’t die was like an itch that _really_ needed to be scratched.

_(to live forever)_

He could try slashing his wrists or stabbing himself in the heart, but that would be too dramatic (and then again, a small part of him was concerned that this was _really_ just a _dream_ and if he did do those things, he’d be dead for sure.) Why not try something tamer but no less dangerous?

_(here goes nothing)_

He took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes and mouth shut, and slid lower in the tub until he was completely submerged. He knew he could hold his breath for almost a minute, but that minute was rapidly passing and his lungs were slowly beginning to scream for oxygen. 

_(not yet…)_

Predictably, his body began to protest. Muscles twitching. Nostrils flaring. Eyes straining in their sockets. His ears buzzing and now ringing. His lashes flew open and soon his mouth. First instincts were to raise himself out of the tub, but he couldn’t. He bore with the excruciating pain; of soapy water rushing into his mouth and down his throat until his chest expanded with the overflow of fluid. He choked and sputtered and began to thrash blindly. 

_(almost…there…)_

For the next three minutes, mind and body battled against each other, until one of them finally gave up the fight. He could feel his heart rate slowing down; a drunken _ba-dum…ba-dum…ba-dum_ …weaker and weaker until there was nothing left. His thrashing stilled and he sank like a stone before beginning to float back to the surface. His eyes were open yet he could see nothing; that once bright white ceiling now a fading halo of gray. 

_(so this is…drowning…this is…death…)_

There was one last final push of his heart to beat before everything went dark. When all was still and nothing – not even a pin drop - could be heard in this space between life and the afterlife. He fully expected to hear Jiraiya again, but unfortunately –

_(whoa!)_

There was a sudden sensation of being thrust or slammed hard into something. It literally felt like his heart was being thrown against his ribcage and he was forced to ‘see’ again; eyes widening like saucers before he burst out to the surface to cough out all the water he had swallowed earlier. 

“Fuc…fuck,” he panted in disbelief; as he rubbed a trembling hand down his face. “Urgh.”

He leaned over the side and vomited; cringing at the sight of everything he had eaten today and then some. He slumped back into the tub when he was through, but his entire body was still shaking and weak; as if he had been put through an emotional washing machine and wrung out completely. 

_(damn)_

Dying was exhausting work.

Now he had an idea of what Naruto went through each and every time he got ‘killed’. He wondered how many death throes the guy had been through since his transformation.

“Gotta get up,” he groaned, but couldn’t get himself to move just yet. Thinking of the blond had brought back the ‘strange’ conversation they had in the restroom, though the most he had gotten from all of it was that he and Mei weren’t in a relationship; something Mei had seconded much to his inner pleasure. Unfortunately, all that meant jack shit if Naruto was still obstinate about not wanting to see him as nothing more than a boy with ‘issues’. However, a line from Itachi’s diary immediately came to mind:

_/ He kissed me today! Or rather I was the one to finally initiate it. How bold and daring of me. I fully expected him to push me away and warn me against it, but he didn’t mind at all! /_

“Initiate it,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around his raised knees. “…I can’t.” 

His features burned at the sudden image of him daring to press his lips against Naruto’s. God knows how many fantasies he had about that, but reality was completely different; at least not with the way Naruto felt about him. At that stage of their relationship, Itachi and Naruto were already practically a couple, and so Itachi kissing him must have been a-okay with the blond. Why would he be upset? 

“If I do that now, I’ll probably get the mother of all scoldings, and he’ll disappear again. I need him to stick around to find the damn cave so we can solve the mystery of the shape shifters.” He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the gnawing ache inside of him. “That’s our relationship. Simply working together…that’s it. I am not Itachi after all.”

Hating himself for moping about the situation, he finally let himself out of the tub, cleaned up his mess, and wrapped a towel around his waist to head into the kitchen for a quick bite before catching up on emails and his online haunts. 

“Hey, Naruto,” he greeted absently at the familiar figure browsing on his computer, and it wasn’t until he opened the fridge did it finally sink in as to _what_ and _who_ was in his home.

_(the hell?!)_

He dashed back out to gawk at the blond still clicking away on his desktop; looking for all the world like he had been there for quite a while. With the T.V. on, a half-finished box of western-style pizza and two cans of beer on his coffee table…someone had definitely been here for some time. How come…?

_(when you were busy drowning, remember?)_

“’Sup, my Worst Nightmare,” Naruto greeted with a raised hand as he clicked on –

_(aaah! It’s one of the games! What the hell is he doing?!)_

His entire being burned as he watched Naruto scroll through the conversations; the sound of the mouse clicking faster and faster as he bypassed the ‘boring’ scenes. No longer dressed in the tailored shirt and pants he had worn to the restaurant, Naruto looked more like ‘himself’ in a pair of jeans and tee-shirt. His left leg was raised upon the swiveling chair, his chin resting on his knee as he played on. When he finally got to a fighting scene, his blue eyes lit up with excitement.

“Not too bad a game,” he commented; absently reaching for the small bowl of cashew nuts beside the keyboard to throw some into his mouth. “If you skip the yakking and the horny bastards, you actually get something quite decent.”

Sasuke tried to say something, but nothing could come out of his mouth. He was already familiar with the game Naruto was playing, so he was more than aware of what came next if Naruto continued on the path he was taking. He was tempted to spoil it for the blond, but bit his lower lip and shook his head. What was the point? As long as he was having fun…

_(in my apartment!)_

He ignored the gleeful voice inside of him and blushed his way back into the kitchen to help himself to something. Unfortunately, whatever hunger had driven him there was now fading rapidly. He still couldn’t help peeking into the living room, just to be sure if he wasn’t hallucinating the entire thing as he overfilled his bowl with too much milk and had to step aside as it trickled to the floor. 

He wiped it quickly; embarrassed to find he was trembling. It was one thing to exhibit bravado in a public place, but to be alone with Naruto despite their argument and everything that went on today…

“Ah fuck,” came the groan of dismay as Naruto’s path ended rather abruptly. “Should have picked the other one I guess. But damn…that’s a bloody way to end, isn’t it? Too much gore if you ask me.”

He clicked back to the beginning of the route, took a swig of the beer beside the bowl of cashews, belched rudely before spinning in the chair to face his quiet companion. For a long moment, both men studied each other, perhaps wanting to believe that they really were in the presence of one another. It could be easy to forget that one of them had been on Death’s door before his fateful decision to defy It; to forget that one’s selfless act of courage had dared to give the other hope. That in those dark (or blue eyes) they were forever going to be intertwined no matter what each other did to prove otherwise. It was Naruto, who finally broke away with a sigh and slow shake of his head.

“Go put some clothes on for Christ’s sake,” he ordered gruffly. “You’re shivering like a dog.”

“I -”

“Besides, we need to talk. So hurry it up.”

He spun back to the game and started all over again; a cue for Sasuke to get his feet moving into his bedroom to change into something decent. 

Several minutes later, he was ‘protected’ in similar wear to Naruto’s, only he had felt the need to add another layer of a sweatshirt despite it being a rather muggy evening. Even the open window didn’t help relieve the tiny beads of sweat forming above his upper lip. He tried to lick it away unsuccessfully, and shoved another spoonful of soggy cereal into his mouth as he stared at the broad back above him. Naruto was approaching yet another crucial choice in the game, and he was smart enough to take the ‘safe’ route which would soon involve him being in a rather intense bondage scene.

Sasuke felt the cereal go the wrong way at the memory of those particular moments and hoped to goodness Naruto would pause the game before things got even more awkward between them.

“You know something, don’t you?” came the sudden question which had Sasuke looking up with a hard blink. 

“What?”

Naruto wasn’t looking at him as he clicked away. “Back at the restaurant when Mei asked if you knew anything about her prophecy or whatever, you said you had no idea what they meant, right? You were lying right through your teeth, weren’t you?”

Sasuke’s cheeks colored. He cleared his throat and looked away. “Maybe.”

“Cut the bullshit, Sasuke,” came the impatient response. “You heard what she said, didn’t you? We need to find the source of those things before The Calm; and the sooner we figure it out, the better.”

He finally paused the game to swivel around; his gaze dark and intense. “What do you know so far?”

Sasuke tucked his legs beneath him and lowered his bowl to the floor. “The only thing I know is what Itachi wrote in his diaries. I found them hidden among some of his personal items I managed to salvage.”  
 _I also found out a little more about your relationship with him, but I can’t tell you that. You’ve probably figured it out already._

However, nothing in Naruto’s expression gave away his surprise or disapproval of this nugget of information. Sasuke continued quietly.

“He mentioned a place called Mount Takao. It’s where our family temple is located. I don’t remember much of it, but Itachi apparently went there a few times to try to find a way into the legendary Ryūchi Cave.” His eyes narrowed as he studied the blond carefully. “Have you heard of it?”

“Yes,” came the straight answer, which caused Sasuke’s eyes to widen. Naruto rubbed his chin; his brows furrowed in thought. “It was rumored that it was nothing more than a fable and such a place did not exist. But just as Mount Myōboku is only visible to those destined to see it, I believe the same principle works for Ryūchi Cave.” He studied Sasuke for a moment, before allowing a small smile to come to his lips. “Who knows? Maybe you’re the one destined to find the damn place. If even your genius of a brother had a hard time locating it, and your father and grandfather had no idea either, what are the odds that you’re that special someone?”

Sasuke would have been embarrassed at the idea of being that ‘special’, but there were too many thoughts spinning through his mind now. “But even if we find it, what’s the proof that the answer we need will be in there? If these shape shifters are things that evolve from a rare plant…?”

“Way before our time,” Naruto cut in softly. “There was a tale of the Senju and Uchiha clan being one; not related by blood per se, but combining forces to become a united front. The Senju had the inherent ability to use Natural energy; a fusion with the earth to regenerate and manipulate it to do their will. The first person to be able to harness this gift was the one named Hashirama. Imagine being able to create entire forests with just a wave of chakra, or creating deadly plants that could release pollen to render opponent useless.” Naruto clenched his fist and released it slowly to stare at his palm. “I wouldn’t learn until much later that I was actually a descendant of Hashirama, not that I can create any damn forest, but I still have a part of the Nature energy inside of me. It’s one of the reasons why I should be able to detect the shape shifters from the real ones.” He looked up to meet Sasuke’s eyes. “These shape shifters are creations from the Senju’s DNA; which is why it’s so rare and hard to find. If the stories I’ve heard over the years are true, then a member of the Uchiha clan stole some of it to grow within Ryūchi Cave. Someone or something has access to that cave _today_ , and we need to find out who it is and where it is fast.”

Sasuke tried to digest this, but it felt as if someone had just shoved him back into the tub and was trying to drown him again. He slapped his hands over his face and took a deep breath; trying to gather himself.

“What…?” he began in a muffled yet trembling whisper. “Are you trying to say that there might be another member of my clan in existence?”

“Highly unlikely,” Naruto replied as his hands twitched lightly. The urge to pull the boy to him in an embrace was so overwhelming, he had to grip the back of the chair to control himself. It didn’t help when Sasuke lowered his hands to reveal the haunted expression in his eyes. 

“So what then? I don’t understand? Who could…?”

“I wish I could pinpoint an exact person, but the truth of the matter is, your clan had some rather shady partnerships in the past. Many who ended up betraying your clan and getting you eliminated all for the sake of power. Sucks, but that’s the harsh reality of our world, Sasuke. Those who you thought you could trust end up stabbing you in the back when you least expect.”

He finished this in a pained voice;  having to clear his throat and look away to reach for the nearly empty can of beer. He drained its contents and wished he hadn’t sounded that way, for the last thing he wanted was for the kid to assume he still wasn’t ‘over’ what had happened to him all those years ago. 

“Anyway, that’s the way things stand now,” he continued in a stronger voice. “I’ll give you a day to rest up and then we can start making our way to Mount Takao.”

“What if I don’t find it?” Sasuke asked hoarsely. “What if I’m not meant to find it either? What if this all comes to a dead end?”

“Then we’ll just have to keep fighting those sons-of-bitches until one of them reveals who their master is.”

“And The Calm?”

Naruto sighed and rubbed a hand across his forehead. “The Calm, huh? Shitty time for me that’s for sure.” He smiled bitterly. “Mei must have told you what it’s all about. Your brother just missed the last one before he was born, so I’m sure he didn’t reveal the ‘fun’ that takes place then.”

“That bad?”

Naruto managed a weary smile. “The Calm is a brief period in time when some cosmic shit…I mean shift takes place and spirit warriors tend to become weaker. _Yōkai_ take advantage and go about causing even more havoc, especially the dormant ones. Malevolents have a fucking field day, and as you can imagine…” He placed a hand against his stomach. “My seal gets considerably weaker and Kurama tends to want to take over…and I mean _over_.”

Sasuke gawked. “You mean…?”

“Yeah…one time he almost did take complete control, and it took Jiraiya and his cronies almost a week to get me back to normal. I nearly died. Which is why I’ll need yo…”

He stopped himself quickly, but not quick enough. He met the understanding dark eyes for a moment before turning away with a huff. “Don’t get the wrong idea,” he muttered thickly. “Usually, they’ll keep me locked away in an underground dungeon in S.W.A.T. and have their strongest warriors seal me in as best they can…at least that was the plan this year. So don’t…”

“I’ll be here,” Sasuke cut in firmly. “I’ll do my best, don’t worry.”

Naruto stubbornly pretended to be interested in the frozen image of the protagonist on the computer screen; trying hard to ignore the warmth of intense gratitude to surge through him, at those simple words. He wanted to tell Sasuke that it wasn’t going to be easy, that if he slipped for even a second, Kurama could kill him. However, recalling how Sasuke had somehow managed to calm the tumultuous spirit within him back at the train station…

_(I’ll be okay…with him…I’ll be…)_

“…tomorrow,” Sasuke said forcing him out of his daze. 

“What?”

Sasuke was rising to his feet to stretch out his limbs. “I said we could start tomorrow.”

“You have school tomorrow. You might be Immortal, but that doesn’t mean you have to skip your classes.”

Sasuke made a face. “School can wait. You said we had to hurry up with this, remember? Besides, get off my computer, so I can check out what I’ve missed so far.”

“Not to worry, your porn links are still intact.”

Sasuke sputtered and kicked at the chair, sending the older man toppling to the ground. 

“Hey!”

“Fuck you. I don’t visit those sleazy sites. Besides,” he added as he shoved Naruto aside to straighten the chair before plunking himself on it. “This route in the game is likely to take you into a hardcore bondage scene. Doubt you could handle it.”

“Says the virgin,” Naruto taunted and smirked as the boy turned a lovely shade of red. “Seriously,” he continued as he made his way to the kitchen to help himself to another can of beer (he had purchased the six-pack). “You should consider finding yourself a damn boyfriend or whatever, Sasuke. And since you grabbed those tickets anyway, maybe you were thinking of finding one at that club, eh?”

Sasuke prayed for the ground to open and swallow him whole. He knew he  should have hidden those tickets Naruto had left behind in the restroom. It wasn’t as if he was planning on going there…

_(oh yeah? So why did you take them?!)_

…and now Naruto was going to think he was that desperate to find himself a date and…

_(oh God)_

“…that guy in your class who keeps ogling at you…”

“Stop trying to match me with anyone,” Sasuke snapped; more to hide his embarrassment than any real annoyance. “I’m fine being alone.”

“Yeah, yeah,” came the yawned words. “Just don’t stay up too long on that thing. We leave first thing in the morning.”

“Okay…” Sasuke began as he logged into his email account, only for his fingers to freeze in mid-type at the connotation of Naruto’s words. “Wait…” 

He turned with his heart beating a little faster. Naruto was lying on his side on the floor; remote control in one hand and flipping through the channels while munching on a slice of pizza at the same time. 

“Are…umm…” he stammered weakly. “You…are…uh…slee…sleeping here?”

“You don’t want me here?” Naruto asked lazily and yawned again. “You want to kick me out, you heartless creature?”

“I don’t care if you sleep here, but…I don’t have an extra futon,” he finished weakly. “And…uum…”

_(you can’t share my bed either! I’ll probably die if you suggest that)_

“Just toss me an extra blanket. I’ll be fine,” Naruto shrugged lightly. “Don’t worry about me.”

“O…Okay, if you say so.”

He forced himself to concentrate; trying hard not to envision all the common scenarios such sleepovers usually involved. One of them would eventually have to make a move. Maybe Naruto would suddenly suggest that he was too cold to sleep on the floor and would sneak into his bed at night to keep him warm and then…

“Fuck,” he hissed as he noticed he had typed “keep me warm and whisper in my ear” instead of “keep all routes open” in response to Hamazaki’s email regarding his new BL game. He backspaced so fast, he nearly erased an entire paragraph in his panic. 

_(I’m such a klutz)_

By the time he was through with the damn email, he felt he had gone through every possible BL scenario in his mind, while erasing so many wrong sentences, he had to proof-read his email three times to be sure there was nothing ‘weird’ about it. Hamazaki might begin to worry about his sanity. 

The ‘send’ button had never looked so good, and when he finally pulled away from the computer an hour later, it was completely dark outside. His first full day as an Immortal and besides the drowning incident, it really felt no different. 

_(well, not really…)_

He swiveled his chair around slowly to study his now sleeping roommate. He had failed to turn on the lights in the room, leaving the flashing images from the television screen to dance across the features in repose. Sasuke thought back to the first time they had _really_ met and how he had felt then. The emotions had been a mingle of fear, anger, and that first pang of awareness of who this man really was. But now…

“Naruto,” he worshipped the name on his tongue as he got off the chair as quietly as he could. 

He crawled on his hands and knees toward the older man, not stopping until he was close enough to touch him if he so chose. It hit him now that for a man who seemed so eager to cover himself up all the time, this was really the first time Naruto had felt ‘comfortable’ enough in his presence to wear just a tee-shirt. Sasuke didn’t know if that was something to cheer about, considering just how much of Naruto he had seen (and been) in his past. Still, it was a big step in their relationship, he thought. The tee-shirt was scrunched up a little to reveal the pale torso, and Sasuke might have dared to caress that skin when he noticed the three balls of paper next to a now empty pizza box. He might have assumed they were only used napkins, but the pen lying next to them told him otherwise.

 _I’m just clearing out the trash,_ he made up quickly in his mind as he unraveled each carefully. _If he asks, I’ll just tell him that…_

_(oh)_

Something fluttered within his chest as crinkled (and crossed out) words were slowly revealed. 

_Thank you_ _,_ the first note read.  
 _Thank you for coming back_ _,_ the second note read.  
 _I’m so glad you’re here_ _,_ the third note read.

_(oh…)_

With fingers that trembled, he carefully straightened the notes out; every stroke and letter imprinted into his memory as he read and re-read them over and over again until his vision blurred. 

_(Naruto…you…)_

He had no idea when he finally rose to his feet to reach for the blanket on his bed and the spare one in his closet, but he figured sleeping on the floor tonight wasn’t going to be such a bad idea. 

_Besides,_ he thought as he placed the notes under his pillow and lay beside the older man (though not too close). _His warmth is more than enough to comfort me._

And as he allowed himself to memorize every feature of that scarred face – where he might have (just might have) traced those ‘whiskers’ shyly – before burrowing beneath the safety of his blanket for fear he would incur someone’s wrath, he still couldn’t help the small smile of happiness he dared himself to feel.

For though it was just a small step forward in their relationship, it was one he would take wholeheartedly.  
  
__

 

In the bowels of the earth, the white spore shivered.

It slithered and burst its way through thick layers of underground strata; sedimentary rocks shattering, deeply buried roots splitting apart, and creatures who seek comfort in its depths crushed with the force of this _thing_ that dared to disrupt their natural solace. 

It eventually reached its destination and morphed out to the surface of an interior that was no less dank and gloomy in appearance. It rose to its full size and stood before the heaving, breathing white massive tree; only instead of leaves, over a million (if not more) of its kind hung from its sturdy branches awaiting their rebirth. 

Sitting at its root – on a carved wooden chair – was the ‘remains’ of what was once a man. Skeletal hands gripped its handles and the sunken body cloaked in a black robe, seemed to shrivel even more into itself despite its attempt to breathe with the aid of clinging branches wrapped around its neck.

The spore moved closer and bowed in homage.

“They are coming,” he announced simply. “Just as you predicted, my Lord. What do we do now?”

The figure’s lips parted in a smile that revealed no teeth, and it seemed to sigh in pleasure. 

“We welcome them with open arms,” it spoke through the branches attached to him; his raspy voice trembling with excitement. “For I have waited far too long for our reunion.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah, this chapter was a doozy, but I’m glad I got it finished! Again, as much as I appreciate all the likes/favs, I still say it’s always good to hear from the readers every once in a while as well. So thank you and hope you like the update.

He wasn’t too surprised to see them waiting outside. Should have expected it really.

_(besides we could always use some backup)_

“Gooooodmorning, Sakura-chan!” he greeted with enthusiasm and a grin as brilliant as the sun threatening to peek above gray clouds. “Fancy meeting you two here.”

Sakura pretended to look offended, while Sai - who had been reading a book- lowered it to smile a little. They were both dressed in their school uniforms, though from their aura, it was clear they had absolutely no intention of going to said school today.

“Thought you could sneak away without us?” Sakura asked as she tugged on Naruto’s ear, ignoring his wails of ‘ouch! Ouch! Ouch!  You meanie!’ while scolding him. “Have you forgotten that we work as a _team_?”

“But how did you know about it?” Naruto grimaced and rubbed his throbbing ear with a pout. “Were you eavesdropping last night?”

“Not really. I sensed Sasuke wasn’t being too honest with us at the restaurant, and when Sai said you didn’t show up at the apartment last night…I put two and two together.”

“Damn,” came the low grumble. “You’ve missed your calling as a detective-”

The sudden pounding of footsteps behind them, forced their attention to the appearance of Sasuke all but leaping down the steps in haste. He wasn’t in uniform; choosing, instead, a pair of jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt that covered his head and most of his face from prying eyes. His sword was strapped across his back, and he was just about to call out to Naruto and apologize for running a little late, when his steps faulted as he noticed the other two.

“Oh.”

“And good morning to you too, Sasuke,” Sakura greeted with a smile - though the flood of color to fill the boy’s cheeks and the quick look exchanged by both he and Naruto before they turned away as if the very act of looking into each other’s eyes was humiliating – did not escape her observant gaze. “Going somewhere this fine morning?” she teased.

Sasuke cleared his throat and scoffed at the ground with a sneaker. “We were just -”

“We’ll explain everything later,” Naruto interrupted with a firm clap of his hands. “We don’t want to miss the first train heading to our destination, so let’s get going. Ready?”

And without waiting to see if he was followed, he leapt onto a wall and then the next rooftop to lead the way to the station. 

_(how do you prepare yourself for a possible battle?)_

If anyone asked him that question, there was really no way to give a direct answer. What kind of answer was there to give anyway? Perhaps, for the military-minded individual, there were battle plans and strategies involved before bum rushing into enemy territory. So where was the manual for individual grudge matches? He was yet to find one if it was ever in existence. Personal vendettas usually involved trying to eat as much as you could the day or night before and getting as much rest as possible. No need to show up half-asleep and giving your enemy even more reason to consider the fight a joke. 

Last night, he had managed to at least get half of that routine done – the eating-as-much-as-possible part that is. The sleeping part would have been great if he hadn’t suddenly woken up in the wee hours of the morning desperately needing to relieve his bladder…and what happened next…

_(…damn)_

His peripheral vision caught sight of something black, and a quick glance to his left showed that Sasuke had just about caught up to him. It was amazing considering he was still ‘new’ at this, and yet he was now much faster than Sakura and Sai. 

_(talk about your student surpassing the master)_

Naruto shook his head lightly and gave a wry smile as he landed just briefly on yet another rooftop before blasting off again with even more chakra – as if to put some more distance between them. 

And why shouldn’t he?

How was one to explain waking up to the sight and sensation of something warm and very much alive pressed against you? Naruto’s initial thought had been that some kind of animal (a cat maybe?) had crept into the apartment and snuggled up to him (which would explain the ticklish sensation beneath his chin). However, when the now familiar scent of Sasuke’s citrus shampoo filtered into his dulled senses, and ‘fur’ somehow transformed into soft dark hair that threatened to make him sneeze and that the kid’s warm breath was felt upon the thin layer of his tee-shirt against his chest – it didn’t take Naruto long to realize just how _dangerous_ the situation was.

_(huh…wai…wait a minute!)_

_What the fuck is he doing on the floor?!_ was the first panicked thought, quickly heightened as the boy shuddered and pressed himself even closer to a body that was rapidly losing its fight to remain disinterested. 

A blanket had been thrown over him, though now askew thanks to Sasuke’s need to crawl into his personal space. It was now apparent that the kid had not slept on the bed after all, and Naruto wracked his frazzled mind to recall if the plans had changed while they had discussed sleeping arrangements. But no, he was damn sure Sasuke had said he would sleep on the bed, so now why…?

A moan.

Another subtle motion of that young body, creating a gentle collision of thighs. Sasuke’s arms were tucked against his chest and now trapped between them. Naruto dared not breathe. His bladder ached with an urgent need, yet worse was the throbbing ache now forming somewhere else. 

_(how long has it been since I…?)_

He cursed and blamed it all on allowing himself to be caught up with those damn perverted games; that despite his sneering at the sex scenes and how ‘fake’ they looked; there was no denying the natural instinct and carnal desire that still flickered deep within. 

His heart leapt in a wild staccato.

He had then made the terrible mistake of looking down at the cause of his current distress, and every emotion; ranging from the horrific realization that he was allowing himself to get turned on by this kid, to how innocent he looked in sleep, to how sick it was to even consider the temptation of tasting those slightly parted and moistened lips – had him moaning in dismay and squeezing his eyes shut. 

_Calm down, Naruto,_ he chided himself as he began to slide away slowly so as not to wake the boy. _Besides, since when did you start getting the hots for him? Such things don’t happen overnight!_

Except, if he was to be damn honest with himself, the flickering flames of this (physical) attraction didn’t just happen in the space of a few hours. It had always been there; probably from the first moment he had allowed himself to really _see_ Sasuke as more than just Itachi’s baby brother all those nights ago – in this same damn apartment. 

_His soul pierced right through me,_ he thought with a wistful smile as he rose silently to his feet and away from a warmth he could get used to if he wasn’t too careful. He rubbed his chest gently; the area where Sasuke’s sword had once wounded him, and thought it really too ironic. That for all his bravado and attempts to distance himself away from Sasuke…

_(it’s just a fucking waste of time and energy)_

He knew he was probably setting himself up for disappointment in the future; that in due time Sasuke would find some other interest and wander away in search of something (or someone) new. An eternity was just that – _an eternity_ – and Naruto was not naïve enough to believe that Sasuke would want to remain by his side for all that time. But for now…

“What will be, will be,” he whispered.

He would not question why this declaration suddenly made him feel ten times lighter; as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders, and just one more step was likely to have him flying up to the heavens. He would have burst out laughing at how cheesy it all seemed, when -

“Almost there!” Sakura cried out to interrupt his thoughts. “We better land somewhere we don’t get noticed!”

They agreed and Naruto came to a stop in a nearby park devoid of many visitors at this hour of the day. There were only a couple of joggers too focused on their workout routines to question why four people suddenly appeared from nowhere. 

While Sai procured tickets for the _shinkansen_ , Sakura got them some snacks from the vending machines. In the train, Naruto chose a window seat with Sai as his companion, and closed his eyes to get the much needed sleep he denied himself after last night’s debacle. Sakura and Sasuke occupied seats across the aisle, and while she picked up a magazine to thumb through, her companion chose to feign sleep with his arms folded upon his chest. 

He was perturbed over what happened earlier in the day.

It was one thing to go to bed on an emotional high, and to assume that maybe – _just maybe_ – Naruto was finally ‘warming’ up to him, but another to wake up alone (and cold) with the man of your fantasies, already dressed and eager to go. From his position on the floor, Sasuke realized he had probably tossed and turned his way right into Naruto’s personal space, which must not have sat too well with the older man, for it was clear that Naruto had been up for quite a while. 

_He probably woke up and was disgusted with me,_ had been his first thought as he fumbled around with a mumbled greeting before hiding inside the bathroom in utter humiliation. By the time he finally crawled out to civilization, Naruto was ‘gone’ with a note that he would be waiting outside and for him to eat something because he sure as hell wasn’t making (or buying) them any breakfast.

_(damn cheapskate)_

And though he would have wished to be alone with Naruto to pester him about last night, Sasuke was glad for Sakura and Sai’s appearance. The tension was less obvious and anyway, he had to focus on what was ahead instead of worrying too much about whether Naruto hated him or not. 

He lifted his lashes to look out the window; much of the landscape flashing by so fast, it was a little difficult to appreciate the scenery. Still they would be in Hachōiji in less than thirty minutes, and then would begin the arduous task of locating his family temple and hoping this elusive cave would reveal itself to him. If not –

_(all a waste of time)_

He prepared to close his eyes again, when the sudden screech of the train’s wheels against the rails had it shuddering and causing the passengers to gasp or cry out in surprise. The lights began to flicker as the tunnel approached, but for the spirit warriors; they were already more than aware that something was terribly wrong. 

Sasuke stiffened and gripped the seat’s handles. A glance at Sakura showed that she too was frowning with concentration. Across them, Sai was on alert, though he pretended to still be engrossed with his book and as for Naruto…

_(it’s here!)_

What happened next would have Sasuke still shocked at how fast it all went down. 

The train had barely nudged its nose into the tunnel, when a barrier was put up by Sai just as the carriage doors, on either side, burst open and four shape shifters – in the form of conductors – dashed toward them; their intent clearly to kill. Naruto, who had been ‘sleeping’ mere seconds earlier, leapt with powerful grace over his seat and the oblivious passengers, to deliver a hard kick to the head of the shifter. Sai slashed at another with a wave of acidic ink, while Sasuke – not wanting to risk drawing out his sword in here – ignored the familiar faint sting of his _sharingan_ being activated as he ducked the outstretched dagger-wielding arm of his attacker to grab its wrist and hoist it over his shoulder. The aisle wasn’t all that spacious to begin with, and it was tricky maneuvering the hefty bastard in the grapple move. However with a roar, Sasuke dragged his new burden toward the exit and tossed him out with all the strength he could muster. 

He nearly fell out of the train himself, for its speed was enough to have him planting his feet more firmly on the ground and bracing himself lest he fly out with the creature. He grimaced as it tried to latch onto the heavy wrought iron handles to get back in; its features distorted in a half-growl/half-grin. Its lips moved and seemed to utter the words “just you. You’ll do just fine”, but Sasuke had heard enough. He unsheathed his sword swiftly and slashed at its wrists; brilliant orange and red sparks flying as steel met iron. And since it was relatively safe to do this out here, he took a deep breath and conjured up enough chakra to scorch the lingering appendage with a small blaze of fire from pursed lips.

Behind him, it appeared as if the trio had taken care of the others – though there was a dark stain spreading across Sai’s right shoulder. Sakura was already working on healing his wound; her features strained.

“They were clearly targeting me and Sai,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’m not sure they want us with you.”

“Bullshit,” Naruto retorted as the train shuddered its way toward the end of the tunnel. “Either way, we’re getting off now. We risk putting the rest of the passengers in danger if we stick around.”

“Out here?” Sasuke asked in disbelief as he steadied himself against a seat. “We’ll get crushed!”

Naruto smirked; darkened blue eyes flashing with mischievous and almost devilish intent. “What’s this? Never jumped out of a bullet train before? Where’s your sense of adventure, Uchiha Sasuke? Live a little, will ya?” He turned to Sai and Sakura. “How’s the damage?”

“I’ve stopped the bleeding,” she replied.

“I’ll live,” Sai added with a nod as he rotated the shoulder slowly. “Don’t worry about me.”

Naruto grunted in approval and led the way toward the exit doors. The gusting wind forced his black trench coat to flap around him; almost giving the illusion of tattered wings. His golden hair whipped across his features, and not for the first time, Sasuke felt a sliver of adrenaline surge down his spine at the feral expression on that visage. His stomach fluttered with breathless anticipation; the beat of his heart a rapid dance of excitement that needed to be satiated. 

“Ready?!” Naruto yelled, and again, not waiting to see if they followed him or not, he jumped out of the train in a blur. 

Sakura was the next to go, and just as Sasuke took a tentative step forward -

“Don’t think,” Sai breathed behind him. “Just do it.”

There was a gentle nudge and Sasuke found himself leaping into open space; the wind inside the tunnel and the blistering speed of the train, almost plugging his ears and sucking away his very breath. He was unable to see his landing spot, but he needn’t have worried for strong hands gripped his wrists and dragged him to safety.

A ‘safety’ he could have done without; for finding himself mere inches from Naruto’s face (and lips) as his entire body still thrummed from the dangerous jump, did more to keep his voice trapped somewhere in his throat.

_(ah…)_

“You okay?” came the husky question of concern. The impish expression of mischief on those features was now replaced with an unreadable one. In the gloom of the tunnel, Naruto’s eyes flickered with violet warmth. His lips curved into a small smile. “Not bad for a first time.”

Sasuke felt the heat surge through him at the double innuendo and the irresistible primal magnetism that threatened to make him a fool in this man’s presence. Besides, this was a terrible time to be turned on by whatever Naruto did or said, but damn if his wrists didn’t still tingle from the firm grip, while his legs did a fine imitation of gelatin. With monumental effort (he might have mumbled something along the lines of “being fine”), he took a few unsteady steps backwards. He stopped when he collided with the grimy wall and tried to catch his breath; though a shy glance toward the older man revealed that Naruto was apparently no longer interested in teasing him. 

His stern gaze was directed at the train that was just about completely out of the tunnel, and as soon as it burst out of it, the warriors were left inhaling the thick stench of burning oil and smoke.  

“We continue on foot,” Naruto commanded tersely. “Looks like they already know we’re coming. So let’s be more vigilant. How much further do we have?”

“Five miles to the station and if we had made it, at least a mile to our destination,” Sai replied. 

“Stay close to me,” came the firm order as he again led the way, this time running upon the tracks that still let off a little steam from the train. 

This time, there would be no stopping them.

__

 

Except for Sasuke’s growing panic that their efforts were really all going to be for naught. 

Past the line of curious tourists, past the hidden trails attempted only by the bravest of hearts, and into the thickest part of the lush forest; there sat the temple claimed to have been a part of the Uchiha clan for centuries. 

For a long moment, the quartet studied the historical site (after a rather tedious march up over a hundred flight of steps) in mute silence before Sakura broke the spell.

“It looks…” Her words faltered and she shrugged her shoulders; looking to Naruto for help. 

“Dead,” came the flat statement from the blond. 

“Looks like no one’s been here in years,” Sai muttered as they took in the derelict conditions.

Once proud slate stones were now covered in layers of moss, vines so thick you couldn’t pull them off with just a tug, and spider webs hovered in every possible corner. Piles of dead leaves and knee-high grass blocked their path. The pagodas were littered with even more debris and pieces of broken mortar and brick; some still cascading to the ground with a particularly strong gust of wind. Daring birds had made nests in some corners, and when Naruto tried to get into the temple, he sank right through the termite-infested steps.

While he cursed and grumbled as Sai and Sakura tried to pull him out, Sasuke wandered around in a daze, desperately trying to re-call if his previous visit here had left him with such feelings of emptiness and desolation. 

_I don’t…remember,_ he thought with disappointment as he stood before a withered shrine with its miniature statue of a praying priest. It must have once been gray, but it now looked green with age. 

_I don’t…remem…wai…wait…wait!_

[a sudden flash of an image – his mother smiling and leaning down to give him something – right before this shrine – his father bowing his head before it with clasped hands – his older brother repeating the gesture – two priests walking behind them – someone crying – his mother shushing him with a tender kiss on his forehead – his feet – so small in simple slippers – chubby short feet – he can barely walk, but mother holds onto him – and then Itachi takes over as his parents walk into the temple, which looks considerably better, cleaner, brighter and then…!]

“Sasuke?” someone called out tentatively.

He shivered. 

[the tree – he runs toward it – trips and falls and cries – Itachi runs over to help him, wiping his cheeks and chiding him lovingly for being such a klutz – but he gets a lollipop and he’s happy – and Itachi’s leading him away from the temple…]

“Where’s he going?” Sai asked as they noticed Sasuke begin to walk a little faster before them; his expression intense and yet his gaze distant as if he was not there with them at the present.

“Just keep following him,” Naruto replied quietly. 

[Itachi leads him down a rocky path – he tries to keep up with big brother’s strides – it’s a little quieter out here, but it’s creepy all the same. It’s as if all the birds decided to fly away. There’s no sound – not much anyway. The trees aren’t even moving. It’s as if the wind  has stopped. Yet Itachi walks on as if he’s not aware of the changes. _Nii-san_ , he calls out fearfully. He doesn’t like it here. There’s a smell now. A sick, yellow, decaying stench that’s slowly rising out of the ground. It frightens him. He wants to tell his brother, but he cannot say it. He’s still so young. He does not have enough vocabulary to describe this ominous feeling. _Nii-san_ , he tries again. Let’s go back. But Itachi does not listen – he makes a turn and then comes to a sudden stop – he bumps into big brother’s back and looks around tentatively – before them a ravine – beyond that what looks like a…!]

“Oh my God! That has got to be the biggest tree I’ve ever seen,” Sakura gasped. “The trunk’s as wide as a damn house!”

[…the biggest tree he’s ever seen – he ‘oohs’ in awe – but Itachi does not seem impressed – he tries to take a step further, but a strong hand falls upon his shoulder – it’s father and the scowl on his features tells the story. He scolds Itachi for wandering away and endangering their lives – he hoists the baby brother into his arms – wags a finger at the contrite older sibling and motions for them to turn away – there is nothing to see here…]

“Nothing…to…see…here,” Sasuke muttered beneath his breath. 

“Wrong,” Naruto replied with a grim smile as he placed a hand upon Sasuke’s shoulder and leaned close to whisper into the dazed boy’s ear. “Looks like you’ve found the entrance to the cave after all, Sasuke. Way to go.”

“Cave?” Sai asked with a raised brow. “What’s this all about?”

“Yes, Naruto. maybe it’s time you finally told us exactly what’s going on,” Sakura chirped in with arms across her chest. “What are we doing here?”

“The cause of all our anguish,” Naruto replied with a cold smirk as he cracked his knuckles. “Can’t you smell them? They’re everywhere. Those damn shape shifters. This is their base. Somewhere beyond or beneath that tree.”

This revelation had Sai and Sakura gasping in disbelief. They looked back to the tree, where faded _o-mikuji_ had survived over the years and still hung around the massive trunk; swaying gently in the wind. 

“How the hell did they get across this ravine though?” Sakura asked. 

“The bridge was destroyed,” Sasuke replied; his voice still distant and his dark eyes with that same troubling glazed look, which even had Naruto a little concerned. He couldn’t be sure, but he had a feeling that Sasuke was simply a shell, and someone (or something) had taken over the boy’s spirit guiding them to their destination. 

_(could it be…?)_

Naruto shook his head firmly and tried to squash away the troubling thought, though there was no denying the sensation of that ‘presence’ around. He tried to tell himself that it was simply because he was back in Uchiha territory; that it was simply an accumulation of all the years he had spent with these people and that his body was now attune to everything related to them. Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was about to see something he’d rather not.

He was just about to warn them about the danger they were to face, when Sasuke took off as if being chased. 

_(the hell?!)_

“Sasuke, you bastard! Wait up!”

He dashed after the teen; Sai and Sakura hot on his tail. They sped alongside the ravine until the unmistakable sounds of rushing water filled their ears. From a jutting piece of rock – on the other side – was a spectacular waterfall; a breathtaking sight if it wasn’t for the now pungent rotting stench that seemed to emanate from it.

“Behind it!” Sasuke yelled; his eyes now flashing with a hint of something akin to madness. He grinned and Naruto shuddered at the sight. It was the same way Madara had acted when he realized he had the power to take whatever he wanted – when he felt his power was beyond the reach of Immortals and Mortals alike. 

_(this place…it might change him too…there’s something about this place that reeks of evil…)_

“Be careful,” Naruto said quietly to Sai and Sakura as they watched the boy pace before them. “In that cave contains seals that have the capability to kill us.”

“You mean…” Sakura began in a trembling whisper.

“Yes. Besides, I’m not sure Sasuke’s in his right mind at the moment. There’s something about this place that makes the Uchiha men go nuts.”

“You’ve been here before?”

Naruto shook his head lightly, but it seemed half-hearted. “I can’t remember. I might have, but that’s not the point. Right now we have to… _what the hell do you think you’re doing?!_ ” he roared, but he was talking to thin air for Sasuke had leapt off the edge of the cliff and into the rushing waters below. “That inconsiderate bastard! Let’s go!”

They all leapt off the cliff to join their new impatient leader. Naruto now furious at how rapidly things were going out of control. If Sasuke was to become too overcome by the power of this place, what hope did they have to defeat their enemy? His breath caught as he dove into the icy depths and quickly burst to the surface in time to see Sasuke already swimming toward the crux of the waterfall. 

_I swear to God, if I get my hands on you,_ Naruto thought with a growl as he began to swim as well, though he’d pause to take off the trench coat which made it difficult to move in the water. With the extra layer of cloth shed, he picked up the pace and was just in time to catch up to the teen already hopping onto land.

Sasuke would have taken off again, if Naruto didn’t leap out to grab him by the neck and slam him hard against the side of the cliff.

“Wake the fuck up!” he bellowed. “Have you forgotten you’ve got us with you?! Snap out of it and realize the danger we’re in!”

Sasuke’s eyes maintained that fever of madness for an instant; unable to see past the furious visage before him before the pain of being rammed against uneven rocks finally sunk in and had him shuddering. He blinked hard and shook his head lightly; the hoodie of his sweatshirt now hanging limply off his head to reveal the wet locks beneath. He finally met Naruto’s gaze with confusion and tried to explain how he felt inside.

_It’s weird,_ he wanted to say. _I don’t understand it, but…it’s as if something is calling me inside there…something or someone I should know. I can feel it in my heart…in my head. It’s like a merciless drill wanting to bore a hole right through my skull. If I don’t answer it, I’ll die. Can’t you see? Can’t you understand what I’m going through?!_

But the words failed him, and he could only settle for bowing his head in apology before he was released with a huff. 

“If you’re back to your senses, and you’re not likely to go running off like some idiot, you can lead the way,” Naruto stated firmly, before turning away to make sure Sakura and Sai were okay. 

_(kill)_

There it was again.

Sasuke felt his head throb as he watched Naruto’s strong back. 

_(kill them now)_

He was unaware of the expression returning again; that slithering voice within him coaxing, cajoling, and slowly stripping away the side of him that wanted to scream for his sanity to return. 

_(this place belongs to us. They are not welcome. Kill them all now)_

His hand reached for the hilt of the sword behind him. 

_(yeeeess, that’s it. Do it now. Quickly!)_

He slowly unsheathed it and began to walk toward the blond; his steps steady and sure. He twirled it once and held it outstretched to his side in a motion ready to slice. However, just as Sakura’s eyes widened when she realized what was about to happen, Sasuke spun on his heels and fell to a knee; the sword moving up swiftly to pierce through the white mass dangling above them. It spurred the others immediately into action; their cries of surprise at being silently ambushed by seemingly thousands of plain white shape shifters drowned by the waterfall. 

_(traitor!)_

“Shut up,” Sasuke growled and slashed through five at a time; grunting as his arm muscles protested the effort it took to get through them. The annoying thing was that they still tried to reform despite being cut, and he’d have to rely on using his fire technique to take as many of them out. Still his head throbbed with the voice that insisted on him being a traitor; of not wanting to help his own kind, of being willing to fight with ‘the enemy’. 

_(he is a curse!)_

**Slash!**

_(he has brought nothing but shame to your clan!)_

**Slash!**

_(get rid of him while you have the chance!)_

**Slash!**

_(he will bring you nothing but pain!)_

It hurt. A lot. The voices were becoming louder; seeping into his pores and taking root. It was hard to concentrate. His vision swam and the world seemed to take on a shade of amber and maroon. He longed to slam his hands against his temples, to stop them from driving him toward the edge of insanity. He wanted to scream in protest to their accusations. This was _his_ choice. He had _chosen_ to be with him. No matter what. And _nothing_ – not even these damn voices of doubt – would make him change his damn mind!

_(fool!)_

_Yes. I know,_ he agreed with a bitter smile as he watched Naruto blast away several shifters, while somehow trying to protect the other warriors at the same time. He was willing to sacrifice his body, willing to accept the extra blow or strike as long as it did not touch his companions if he could help it. However, despite Sakura and Sai holding their own, they were making no progress toward their final destination. Was there no end in sight?

He could feel the thread of despondency begin to wrap around him; a heavy weariness descending upon his body as he struggled to maintain his stance. That putrid stench of decay was getting stronger now, filling his nostrils until he could barely breathe, and just when he thought he was going to let up the contents of his stomach in revulsion; Sakura’s piercing scream snapped him out of his depressed state in a hurry.

“SAKURA!” Naruto screamed as the girl was lifted up by an endless string of the white substance. It wrapped around her neck in a coil, and the men could only watch in horror as scales began to protrude from its ‘skin’ until it was completely covered.

“…a…snake?” Sai whispered, only to cry out in surprise as another of the white string (or snake in this case) wrapped around his ankles to dangle him upside down and several feet above his astonished companions. 

“Let them go!” Naruto yelled as he gathered some more chakra in his palms. This time with even more of a red hue than its’ usual blue. His eyes flashed with a hint of Kurama’s power within, and as he set out to blast the base of the snake, he would fail to see the two black objects heading toward him until they pierced through his back forcing him to fall flat onto his stomach with an agonized howl.

“Naruto!” Sasuke immediately dashed to his side with his heart in his throat, but Naruto stopped him with a wail.

“NO! Don’t touch them,” he gasped through gritted teeth. “This…this is -”

“Truly what he looks like,” came the sonorous voice, which seemed to fill the entire cave. “Take a good look at what your dear Uzumaki Naruto really is if he hadn’t signed the deal with the Devil for Immortality.”

The two black rods, which appeared to be as heavy as steel pipes, thrummed with suppressed energy. Sasuke could make out some kanji appearing and disappearing upon it, but it was pale in comparison to the sight of the man pinned beneath it. 

_No…please no…_

Once beautiful golden hair was slowly, as if being painted by invisible brush strokes, turning into silver threads of white. Once healthy, lightly bronzed skin was beginning to shrivel up slowly, like crinkling pieces of paper folding upon itself. Sunken in, thinner, skinnier, the threat of bones protruding through weary muscles. 

_Stop…please stop…he’s dying…withering away…_

“St…st…stop,” he begged through lips that felt numb. His heart felt like it was going to be ripped into pieces as Naruto’s head remained lowered to the ground; skeletal fingers digging into the earth and trying desperately to grasp onto something.

When Sasuke fell to his knees beside the dying warrior, he had no idea, but he did reach out for those hands; hands that now felt clammy and frail within his. He raised them to his lips and squeezed his eyes shut; wishing now that he had been bold enough to take advantage of Naruto while he still had the chance.

“What are you crying for?” came the raspy whisper before him. 

He lifted his lashes to look into cerulean eyes that still flashed with defiance despite the skeletal husk of a face around it. 

“This is the real me…not bad for a nearly two-hundred-year old, eh?”

Sasuke, who hadn’t even been aware he had been crying in the first place, sniffled and laughed a little. If he sensed the ‘voice’ getting agitated at this display of affection, he ignored it and continued to focus on the man before him. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly. “Even if I have to end up living with you like this until you’re nothing but ashes. You’ll always be Naruto to me.”

Naruto’s eyes widened at this, before his  lashes lowered as if unable to look into the face of such innocence. It really was so difficult to understand this young man sometimes…

“How sentimental,” the voice sneered in derision. “Brings tears to my eyes, it does. You’re almost as useless and foolish as your older brother. Who chose to die instead of betraying the husk that calls himself Uzumaki Naruto. In this state, it should be more than easy to extract the _bijuu_ from him. After hoarding it for so many years and not making the most of it, I think it’s time it had a new master.”

Sasuke maintained his grip on Naruto’s hands and lifted his gaze to his other unconscious companions who were still trapped by the snakes. He looked back at Naruto, specifically the rods still thrumming upon his back.

“These rods…they were conjured up with the seals by our clan, correct?” Sasuke asked.

“Yes,” Naruto replied weakly; though his features began to contort as Kurama’s power began to surge within him. His body was now no longer strong enough to contain such a powerful spiritual being, and Kurama was beginning to rebel; seeking something healthier to survive in. “If you touch it… you might die too. As I was made to believe…only mortals are unaffected. You are Immortal now…so…”

“So screw that,” Sasuke hissed and leaned forward. “The blood of the Uchiha runs through me, and if we’re the ones responsible for this, then I’ll end it.”

Naruto struggled to raise his head, eyes widening again but this time in fear. “What do you think you’re planning to do?”

The younger man smiled grimly and reached out for one of the rods. “It’s okay, Naruto. Even if I end up dying, I think it’s only fitting this way. We’ve brought you nothing but pain and suffering, haven’t we? You deserve some form of happiness even if it isn’t with me.”

“Wait…don’t do something stupi…!”

But Sasuke wasn’t listening. He wrapped his hands around one of the rods and began to pull with all his might. 

“YOU FOOL!” the voice raged as something caused the cave to shudder as if experiencing an earthquake. “You will die! Do you not understand?!”

Sasuke ignored it and pulled even harder; his features straining and now damp with sweat. He could feel his palms begin to chafe and sizzle; the smell of burning flesh filtering into the air. The pain was excruciating, and he held back his scream by biting hard on his lower lip until the blood dribbled down his chin. 

“Sto…stop,” Naruto pleaded as he watched the boy struggle. “Don’t do this for me…I’m not worth it, Sasuke.”

“Shut…up…” came the gritted words from clenched teeth. “I’ll decide who’s worth dying for, damn it!”

And with a roar that was ripped right out of him, he gave one final pull and was rewarded for his effort. The victory would have been short-lived, for two more of the rods flew toward Naruto again, only this time, Sasuke was ready for them. He snatched up his sword and knocked them aside, now panting to catch his breath. The good news? It appeared as if some part of Naruto was getting back to normal. At least the lower part of him. The other good news? He didn’t appear to be dying anytime soon. Exhausted? Yes.

The earth rumbled again, but this time it was the sudden grating of rock against rock as it slowly parted to reveal the hidden chamber. It was there that the roots of the massive tree they had seen outside was finally revealed, and even Naruto – who was beginning to feel the effects of the rod being taken out of him – gasped in disbelief at the sight. 

“What…the…hell is this?” Sasuke asked in awe and disgust; for instead of leaves, there were more of the white shifters hanging from the branches.

“This is where you meet your end, Uchiha Sasuke,” came the voice that was less thunderous now that its location and owner was revealed. 

Sasuke stared at the seated figure beneath the tree, which hadn’t moved a muscle, yet seemed to be leader of this whole thing. Long white hair fell to the ground and if Naruto appeared to be a shrunken shadow of himself, this person was nothing more than a skeleton with lots of hair draped with a heavy ancient black robe. There was barely any flesh hanging onto him. His eyes were so old, they could not open let alone his mouth which seemed gummed together. This was a living mummy!

“Im…impossible…” Naruto whispered. “It…it can’t be…”

“Who is it?” Sasuke asked, though a part of him felt he ought to already know the answer. That hairstyle alone…

The voice cackled and they watched in horrified silence as a long white snake slithered its way from beneath the robe to wrap itself around the skeleton’s wrist and throat; as if to support it from rolling off. 

“Though I wish I could say I was Uchiha Madara,” the voice began slowly. “I’m afraid I’ll have to be completely honest with you all. I am disappointed that you no longer recognize my voice, Naruto. After all, we did meet years ago and you could even consider me the reason why you were able to defeat Madara.”

Naruto clenched his teeth or would have if it were possible to do so without losing the few he had left. He should have known there was only one person sick enough to disrespect the dead like this. One person he wished he had never met, and yet was indirectly indebted to.

“I should have known…”

“Yes, you should have,” the voice taunted. “You deceived me, Naruto, and now you must pay for your sins.”

“What is he talking about?” Sasuke asked even as his bleeding hands wrapped around the second rod to begin pulling. This was going to be a little trickier due to how slippery his palms had become, but he wasn’t about to give up yet.

“We had a deal,” the voice continued through Madara’s husk. “Didn’t we, Naruto? Shall I remind you of your promise?”

Naruto’s head was bowed again; his breathing ragged and getting weaker by the second. Sasuke could feel the clock ticking and he gritted his teeth in desperation. This was no time for story-telling. Naruto needed to conserve as much energy as he could!

“Well allow me then,” the voice sneered. “I was once a very dear friend to Uchiha Madara; a renowned scientist who was fascinated with the human body and how it worked. While Madara publicly shunned the idea of Immortality, in reality he was fascinated by it. He craved it like a drug, and since he had so publicly declared war on all Immortals, it would look bad to suddenly choose to become like them. So what did he do? He got the next best thing. That man at your knees. Uzumaki Naruto – a relic of a once proud and dangerous clan. Even without the power of the _bijuu_ , just taking a sip of his blood was enough to give you the strength of a hundred men and to cure all ailments. What stroke of luck!

“But Madara was a selfish man and would not share his treasured prize. No matter how many times I implored him to release Naruto to me; that I would be able to harness the power of the _bijuu_ and give him the strength he truly desired, he refused. For years I was baffled by his decision – even after Naruto left him – until I realized what had caused him to be that weak. I’m sure you know the answer, Naruto, don’t you?”

The fallen warrior didn’t look up though his body shuddered lightly.

“ _Love_ ,” came the word laced with venomous bitterness. “Yes. That foolish old man still harbored feelings for the beast and would rather share his other secrets with me except giving up Naruto or wanting anyone to hurt him. It was infuriating! Did he not understand my desperation?! I needed him! I was dying and that body and its ability was all I wanted to continue existing.”

The snake flicked its long pink tongue and seemed to grin. “But my patience finally paid off, didn’t it, Naruto?  You finally came to me when I least expected it. You were different now. No longer afraid of dying because you dared to sign your soul away to the Devil. You came to me because you knew I was closest to Madara; that I would be the one able to tell you his hiding place – this cave - and his eventual death bed several miles from here. By now, I was nothing more than a living shell myself; my body deteriorated to a point that I was barely recognizable. You swore that you would return Madara’s dead body to me in exchange for my information, and you never kept that promise, Naruto!”

The snake seemed to swell as the voice became louder; its grip around the neck of Madara tightening until they heard a painful crack.

“You lied to me!” the voice raged on. “I waited like a fool, but you hid him away after you won the battle. You thought burying him in the ravine and right beneath this tree as homage would absolve you of your sins, but you miscalculated, didn’t you? I searched for years, and I was not only rewarded for my tireless efforts, but I also managed to create my greatest masterpieces yet! Shifters that are able to transform into anyone and anything they desire; with the ability to absorb chakra and defeat their enemies. And not only that, they would all be given the ability to take down every single Immortal  out there just as Madara had intended; only he was too much of a coward to complete the job. He had the opportunity to kill you and he failed yet again! You both sicken me!”

The snake moved – so swiftly – Sasuke barely had the time to dodge, but at least had the good sense to lift his sword in protection. It managed to nick the creature, but his left shoulder stung from where its fangs had grazed it. He swayed as he felt the gush of blood trickle down his arm. 

_Fuck, that hurt!_

“Sas…Sasuke?” Naruto called out in concern.

“I’m fine,” he grunted with a tight smile. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to kill me.”

“It seems like it,” the snake hissed. “Not only do the seals not work on you, but all you Uchiha seem to have been inflicted with this disease of being unwilling to give him up! You will die just like your brother did!”

The snake lunged again, but this time Sasuke was more than ready. Perhaps it was the mention of Itachi and his pointless death, or that his feelings …no _their_ feelings for Naruto – was being mocked. So what if it was their curse or destiny to be involved with this man beside him? What was so wrong with that? Madara, Itachi, and perhaps even his father and everyone else in-between might have felt some form of affection for Naruto. For despite his troubled past…

“…he is kind and would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needs it,” Sasuke growled as his sword began to glow with a surge of chakra. “He might be stubborn, a cheapskate, and as thick as a brick wall sometimes, but he has more heart, soul, and spirit than ten million of your pathetic pastry creations. So shut the fuck up, you piece of shit, and go back to the Hell you belong!”

He lunged to his feet with a roar that sounded louder and deeper than he had ever given. Naruto wanted to plead with him to return; that it was going to be pointless dealing with this person he had failed to put away when he had a chance. The realization that all of this; all the pointless deaths had been due to his mistake, was enough to make him want to remain in this dying state. Losing Sasuke now would add to his curse of cyclical despair, and as he looked up to call out to the young man…

_(what…what is this…?)_

His eyes widened as he saw a sight that would leave him breathless. It was probably just an illusion. Nothing more than his tired (old) mind playing tricks on him; and yet there it was. The gossamer spirits of his ancestors trailing behind Sasuke as he plunged ahead. From Madara to Fugaku to Itachi and all the other Uchiha men he had encountered in his lifetime, they all seemed to morph into an entity that engulfed the youngest and lone survivor of their proud clan in a purple haze. It was a haze that kept expanding until it took the form of –

“Su…Susanoo?!” the snake hissed in shock. “How is that even possible?! Only Madara should have been able to wield such power! Why should you have the ability, you pathetic remnant of a discarded clan?!”

Sasuke seemed unaware of the spiritual force built around him, but as he slashed his sword through thin air, the sudden surge of chakra to burst out of the simple strike nearly threw him off his feet. He couldn’t explain it even when asked later, but it felt as if there were a thousand other hands upon his at that moment; that he had felt a flood of warmth and energy assuring him he could never lose this fight. 

The hanging inanimate shifters were promptly scorched by the force of Susanoo’s power; melting to the ground and forming puddles of white goo until they shriveled into nothingness. The snake unwound itself from Madara’s neck and attempted to escape, but Sasuke charged for it; leaping into the air and plunging his sword right into its head until the tip of the weapon pierced right though its mouth clamming it shut. He gritted his teeth and slashed through it, sending the head of the creature flying through the air before it smashed into the cliff in a bloody pulp. This caused the snakes wrapped around Sakura and Sai to ‘dissolve’. Sasuke – who was sure he wouldn’t be able to reach those two in time before they fell to their deaths – could only gasp as he finally ‘saw’ the purple haze around him stretch out a limb to cushion their descent. 

_(what in the world?)_

Whatever it was, it seemed to be moving of its own accord now (or perhaps it was simply the will of the spirits it inherited), for it moved toward Naruto to remove the rod still protruding from his back effortlessly. 

By this time, the earth was beginning to tremble and quake even harder than before; causing huge chunks of rock and sand to cascade around them. 

“We’ve got to get out of here!” Sasuke yelled to no-one in particular, for his three companions were out cold. 

However, Susanoo seemed to understand and it burst through the thick layers of rock to lead them all back to safe ground. Once in broad daylight – or rather early evening – the spiritual being vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Even then, Sasuke still felt the lingering warmth it left behind and though he was in agonizing pain from being so beat-up, his throat tightened as he closed his eyes and felt the unmistakable presence of his family – his father, his dearest brother, and the most powerful of them all; a man who had simply died for one simple (yet complex) emotion.

_(he’s all yours, Sasuke)_

“Thank you,” he whispered, in sincere gratitude, as their spirits faded away. “I promise to take good care of him.”

__

 

_“…you should have killed me when you had the chance.”_

_“You don’t have to remind me of that.”_

_“This is really all your fault, you know.”_

_“How was I to know that Orochimaru would end up betraying me?”_

_“You were friends with that sleazy bastard. It was your choice.”_

_“He seemed normal to me at the time -”_

_“Your definition of normal worries me, I swear.”_

_Madara chuckled and blew out a cloud of smoke from his pipe. His thick dark hair fluttered gently in the wind and Naruto couldn’t help thinking of how picturesque and majestic he looked in this setting. Except…_

_“You shouldn’t be here,” Madara said quietly. “You know that, don’t you?”_

_Naruto shrugged and smiled. “I know. He’s waiting for me, and I get the feeling if I don’t show up soon, he’ll probably find a way to get to me here anyway. I wonder where he got that streak from.”_

_Madara’s lips quirked into a grin. “We are all fools when it comes to you, Naruto. I was the biggest of them all, and you know what?” He turned to look into patient blue eyes. “I would do it all over again if I had the chance.”_

_“No thanks,” Naruto replied as he rose to his feet. “One time with you was more than enough. I think I’m ready to move on now…and finally ready to really let you go. I’ve mourned enough for the dead, don’t you think?”_

_“He will have a lot of questions about today.”_

_“And I’ll answer them as truthfully as I can.”_

_“Hmm.” Madara gave a wistful smile and cocked his head a little. “You are a different man now, Uzumaki Naruto. I am almost envious of him and his luck to get to spend the rest of his life with you. Will you take good care of him as well?”_

_Naruto nodded as he watched the apparition of a once great man begin to slowly disappear like scattered ashes into the wind. He would try to reach out to catch just a piece, when he heard his name being hollered from miles away._

_“Damn,” he muttered with a chuckle as he closed his eyes and fell back to the ground. “You’re always too damn loud, Sasuke…”_

__

 

“…quiet it down, will you?” he grumbled as he lifted his lashes slowly to find the kid’s face mere inches from his. All soot and blood and sweat-stained and decidedly the most beautiful visage he had ever seen. 

“Thank God! I was so worried,” Sasuke sputtered in a trembling voice filled with relief. “I kept shaking you awake, but you wouldn’t move and your body’s back to normal by the way! And I just wanted to make sure…

_(you are too damn noisy)_

“…that you were alive and…what?”

Naruto was motioning slowly with his finger.

“You want me to come closer?” Sasuke asked in bemusement; doing as he was told. “What is it you want me to…?”

_(Oh!)_

Sudden and unexpected and far from anything his fantasies could have conjured up. Widened dark eyes struggled to comprehend what he was feeling; that this hard collision of warm lips - intensified as Naruto’s strong hand curved around his neck to hold him prisoner – was nothing more than a figment of his overzealous imagination. 

_(aah…)_

His stomach fluttered. 

The taste of smoke and blood permeated his senses and shocked him to the core. His lashes flittered closed. He gave in willingly. Where was the need to fight this? There was the gentle prod of Naruto’s tongue seeking entrance into his mouth, and his shy invitation, causing him to tremble when they finally met and tasted each other for the first time. 

_(oh God…I’m going to faint…probably…)_

He wouldn’t consider it a ‘sweet’ kiss – for there was something rather powerful and forceful about it -but it was a wonderful thing to behold all the same; a moment he would cherish for the rest of his life even if Naruto would eventually say something along the lines of it being done ‘in the spur of the moment’ and that it ‘meant nothing’. 

_(a thousand nights I have dreamt of this…)_

When they finally broke apart slowly for air, Sasuke lifted lashes that now felt ten times heavier but only to meet the hooded and darkened eyes beneath him. His already flushed being burned at the unreadable expression, compounded when he dared to glance at Naruto’s swollen lips that were licked slowly.

_(more…I want…)_

“If you two lovebirds are finished,” came a familiar boisterous voice that had both of them looking up in surprise at the towering figure walking in their direction. “We’ve got a lot of explaining to do at headquarters.”

Sasuke blushed to his roots, and Naruto grumbled before reluctantly withdrawing his hand from the neck he had been caressing absently. He winced as his back throbbed, but was pleasantly surprised when Sasuke wrapped an arm around his waist to help him to his feet. 

“Sai,” he whispered at the silent question from raised brows. “He sent a bird to S.W.A.T with information about what happened here. Jiraiya and the Cleaners arrived to pick up the pieces. Sai and Sakura were already taken back to headquarters.”

“I see…” He paused and took a deep breath, cleared his throat and looked away. “Uum…about that…what just happened -”

“It’s okay,” Sasuke interrupted with a small smile; though he was sure his heart was going to shatter if Naruto didn’t deny this. “It was a spur of the moment thing, right? It means nothing. I understand.”

“It was -”

“Come on you two,” Jiraiya interrupted as he helped Naruto from the other side. “You have lost a lot of blood and need some patching up. Hold onto me tight. I’ll take us to Tsunade. Ready?”

Sasuke nodded and moved in closer to form a tight circle with the other men, and just as he closed his eyes and began to feel the familiar wave of vertigo which came with teleportation, he would be rendered speechless at the husky words whispered into his ear.

_It didn’t mean nothing, Sasuke, and don’t you ever forget that._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	15. Silver

_Hero._

The soothing musk of a summer evening; when the heavens were filled with indigo and tangerine clouds alongside a fading sunset. 

_The hero._

A gentle breeze licked at his flesh as he lay on his back; his sheathed sword by his side. His school blazer draped across the top of the water tank’s ladder, its sleeves dancing ever so gently with every gust of wind. With his hands beneath his head, lashes closed, and a lollipop stuck in his mouth (a treat from Sakura’s basket of goodies), he painted a picture of repose despite the bustle of activity below. 

_I am a hero._

Beneath him were amorous teenagers prone to using the school’s rooftop for their private affairs. Unaware of his silent presence, they blushed with intimate confessions, dared to explore blossoming bodies in the safety of shadows, giggled over illegal content (the lewd magazine or video watched on mobile devices), or simply chose to be loners musing over the depths of their loneliness. Further below, was the hub of youthful indulgence; where students hovered around the raging bonfire signaling the end of the school festival and the official beginning of summer vacation. 

It had been an enjoyable day, all things considered. School festivals had never been his thing; having denied several hopeful girls in the past the pleasure of accompanying them on such frivolous affairs. However, Haruno Sakura could be quite persuasive when she chose to be, and at the end of the day he had found himself still chuckling and laughing over some of the rather ridiculous (yet creative) stunts his fellow classmates had conjured up as entertainment. 

_The reluctant hero._

He lifted his right arm and splayed his fingers across the sky. He closed an eye and squinted, with the other, to see through them; absently marveling at how ‘normal’ this all still seemed considering how much he had changed in the past week.

_(and what a week it has been)_

To his classmates and teachers, he was still the aloof genius they had always known. He attended school the day after he was given the green light from Tsunade – to a place that hardly blinked as he walked through familiar halls and rooms. While in the _other_ realm, his escapades in defeating the shape shifters had earned him unwanted celebrity status. Everyone wanted to know how he (they) had done it, but Tsunade and Jiraiya – the masters of spin – had woven a tale where the particulars were masked under layers of simply thorough investigation by S.W.A.T. 

While some had been content to believe that story, some families/clans were still skeptical especially “A” – the boisterous and intimidating leader of the Kumogakure. According to Sai – who had attended the meeting of clan heads – “A” had expressed his doubts on how a mere ‘kid’ like Uchiha Sasuke had been able to sniff out someone as dangerous as Orochimaru. Everyone, and their mothers, knew the history of the evil and mad genius, but history had told them Orochimaru must (and should have) passed away centuries ago. It was simply impossible to put the blame on a dead man. There had to be someone else behind the scenes despite the evidence presented. 

Evidence being the collective disintegration of all the shape shifters around the world, the moment the main source of its strength had been destroyed in the cave. 

Speaking of which...

Sasuke frowned and lowered his arm.

Jiraiya had told them that there was no such cave. When he and his team arrived, he had simply seen the quartet comatose, sans Sasuke, on the cliff next to the waterfall. 

“But we saw it!” Sakura had insisted, when the four of them were ‘interrogated’ by Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi. “It was there, wasn’t it?”

She had looked to her companions for help, with he and Sai nodding in agreement, while Naruto stifled a yawn and tried not to fall asleep. 

“We searched the entire location,” Kakashi said quietly. “But all we saw was the giant tree and not much else. Our most gifted sensors weren’t able to detect any underground cave or cavern that might have housed Orochimaru all this time.”

“We’re not sure what happened,” Tsunade continued. “But whatever you all did, it worked and for that we are eternally grateful.”

Sasuke had gone into details of everything that took place especially after the others had been unconscious. However, the more he talked, the more fantastical and surreal it sounded until even he had to wonder if he had simply imagined the whole thing. He began to feel foolish and embarrassed at the intense (pitying) looks he was receiving until he caught the brief yet heated glance from the ‘bored’ Naruto. 

_They will not understand,_ those eyes seemed to say, _remember only those who are destined to see the cave will do so. We were lucky on that day and that’s that. You’ve done all you can. Let it go._

Fine. He _would_ let that go including not mentioning the weird purple spiritual being that had assisted him during the fight. What had Orochimaru called it again? _Susanoo?_ He allowed a small smile to come to his lips. That would be his little secret – at least a secret only he and Naruto knew about. It was no use revealing that ability to anyone else. Any good warrior knew it wasn’t prudent to reveal all your cards at once.

A loud crackle jarred his thoughts, forcing him to admire the brilliant colorful sparks of fireworks now dotting the darkening sky. Flecks of gold and silver danced across his shadowed features and reflected brightly in his eyes. He swirled the lollipop around his tongue, savoring its sweetness as the faint ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of enthralled students drifted toward him. He withdrew the dessert from his mouth and licked his lips slowly; the cherry flavor now settled upon his taste buds. He sucked lightly on the little red orb remaining, faintly aware that this subtle motion was only doing more to remind  him of something he had vowed not to dwell on (too much) since it happened. 

_(It didn’t mean nothing, Sasuke, and don’t you ever forget that.)_

As if he could anyway.

It was his first kiss with anyone… _ever!_ And there was an unwritten rule that one was never to forget such an important moment in his or her life, wasn’t there?

_(better than any fantasy I could conjure up)_

His cheeks burned in recollection of that moment, where a small part of him had rejoiced at the idea that it had been Naruto to take the initiative after all. Where Itachi had ‘forced’ the older man to make a move, the tables were turned in his case. There was something intensely gratifying about it; of knowing that Naruto had finally given in at a time when both were simply relieved to have survived such an ordeal. 

Unfortunately, Naruto had just about continued on as if that event had never taken place; not that one could blame him - for between spending hours being interrogated and then treated for his wounds (those rods had done more internal damage than they had thought), neither man had the time to really spend alone. Once Sasuke had his wounds treated, Tsunade had insisted he return back to civilization as quickly as possible. 

“But what about Naruto…?”

“We’ll take care of him,” Tsunade had reassured. “Besides, it’s best he remains here especially with what’s about to take place. You are already aware of how…eh… _fragile_ he becomes once The Calm arrives. You, on the other hand, will need to prepare yourself for more battles. Unfortunately, you might not even have Sakura and Sai as backup because their powers are considerably weaker during that time. However, if you should ever run into trouble, the Hyūga are willing to assist. Like the Uchiha, they too have the ability to withstand the effects of The Calm. It might last for only twenty-four hours, but it is going to be the longest day of your life, Sasuke. Train, get enough rest, and if you should ever need help, we’ll be here for you as best we can.”

 _The Hyūga, huh?_ He groaned in disbelief.

The last time he had been acquainted with that clan, they had tried to kill him. What were the odds that their ‘working’ relationship was going to get any better this time around? 

“As long as they don’t get in my way,” he muttered and sat up slowly, just as he felt the air beside him charge with the presence of a new arrival. 

“Ah, Sak…” he began only to falter as he arched his neck to notice the smiling towering figure. “Ka…Kakashi?” 

“Yo,” came the cordial greeting. “Enjoying your school’s festivities?”

Sasuke shrugged lightly and looked down at the ‘ants’ that made up the student body. Many were already drifting toward the gates and it was only a matter of time before the party was officially over. 

“It was all right,” he replied quietly. “Where’s Sakura? She left rather abruptly earlier.”

“She’s up to her neck with new patients,” Kakashi responded as he sat beside the younger man. “Some warriors just returned from their mission in Algeria. Very difficult situation there expunging the _yōkai_ in that region. Speaking of which…” He smiled and gently nudged the boy’s shoulder with a fist. “Once The Calm is over, you can begin looking forward to traveling all over the world to deal with such cases. Exciting, huh?”

 _As long as Naruto’s my partner, I don’t mind,_ he would have liked to say aloud, but he settled for giving a small smile and trying to act nonchalant about it. 

“Why are you here?” he asked instead. “It’s rare for you to talk to me in private these days.”

Kakashi looked sheepish; his lips quirking lightly beneath the mesh black face mask. He looked away from the questioning dark eyes. “Is it so wrong to want to spend some time with my former ward?”

“Cut the bullshit. You wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t something you wanted to tell me. You’re not one for idle chit-chat. You never were.”

“Ouch.” Kakashi held his stomach and pretended to look hurt. “Low blow.”

He received an even darker look for his attempt at a joke. He finally relented with a wave of his hands in surrender and a light laugh.

“All right. You got me. Looks like nothing escapes your observation skills.”

The smile vanished as abruptly as it appeared; his eyes now narrowed with thought. “Have you been given your assignment regarding The Calm?”

Sasuke nodded. “Tsunade-sama says I’m to work with the Hyūga clan when the time comes. Not sure how smoothly that’s going to go considering we’re not exactly on friendly terms.”

“They might not be ‘friends’ per se, but they are professional enough when it comes to a common objective. In this case, your job is to eliminate _yōkai_ likely to become Malevolents. Personal vendettas and feelings will have to be put on the back burner for now. Your rendezvous point is at midnight on Friday. You must meet at the gates of the S.W.A.T headquarters at that time.”

“And what about you?” Sasuke queried. “Will you be weakened as well? And is it just the Hyūga clan that’s going to be active that night?”

“No,” Kakashi replied. “You will also have the Yuki clan, headed by Haku. They are a small family, but quite powerful. But you need not worry about them. They are usually based in the Northern region and they can handle the _yōkai_ there just fine. Tsunade-sama, you and the Hyūga will be concentrated in this region and the South will be handled by Jiraiya-sama and the Kaguya clan. As for me, I’ll be wherever I’m needed the most. I might not be completely at a hundred percent, but I’m still strong enough to deal with better than average _yōkai_.” 

Sasuke took a deep breath and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword; the first stirrings of anticipation bubbling in his stomach at the idea of getting into battle again. Funny how once you tasted the thrill of engaging in such fights, you became more addicted to the concept of killing. Did this mean he was becoming mentally twisted already?

“Pity Naruto can’t be a part of all the fun,” he found himself muttering. “I’m sure he would have loved to be able to take down as many _yōkai_ as he possibly can.”

“Perhaps,” came the quiet and almost hesitant reply, which caused Sasuke to look at the older man sharply. He frowned.  
  
“What do you mean?”

Kakashi sighed heavily. “I’m sure you’re right in assuming that Naruto would rather be out and about slashing and dicing his way through _yōkai_. However, I’m sure even he would tell you that he’d rather wish to remain underground during that time.” He paused and studied Sasuke’s face for a moment. “You’ve seen how he becomes once he’s in the midst of transforming to Kurama, and how he tends to lose himself…well, it’s ten times worse during The Calm. Naruto’s seal weakens much quicker and Kurama usually takes over in less than ten minutes. Despite our strongest warriors, including Tsunade and Jiraiya, joining in to help keep the _bijuu_ in check, it almost got the better of them. They barely survived, but plans were already in the works to develop something much stronger to restrain them. We had hoped Itachi would be willing to assist, but when that plan fell through, more time and effort was put into the ‘back-up’ they’ve been developing over the past few years.”

He stopped abruptly, realizing he was talking too much. However, one look at the intense expression on the boy’s face was enough to let Kakashi know that stopping now would probably earn him a sword wound in his most vital region. 

He cleared his throat. “The original idea had been that a member of the Uchiha clan would be able to subdue Kurama’s influence during Naruto’s transformation. No one had foreseen Itachi’s unfortunate passing, and many had doubts that you’d be able to reach your full potential. However, when we realized just how good you were at developing your skills and how you were able to control Naruto from going berserk, it was a wonderful icing on the cake. It would have been perfect for you to remain with Naruto during The Calm, but…”

His voice trailed off.

“But? But what?” Sasuke asked through lips that felt numb. “I’m no longer needed?”

“Not that…” Kakashi began quietly. “It’s just that Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama do not run a dictatorship and they must have the input of other powerful leaders in the spirit world. Remember the back-up I was talking about? Well, they’ve decided they are going to give it a whirl this time around. Some of the leaders do not fully trust that you still do not have ulterior motives when it comes to Naruto, so they would rather send you out to deal with The Calm and have the back-up protect Naruto…or better yet the _bijuu_.”

Sasuke’s face gave nothing away, though he felt as if someone had dropped a chunk of ice into his heart at the same time. He should have known that something was up. That despite Tsunade and Jiraiya’s assurance that everything was going to be ‘okay’, they wouldn’t hesitate to throw him to the wolves if the time came. Hadn’t Naruto once voiced his doubts about just how loyal those two were to him?

_(he’s always been used anyway. All they care about is the **thing** inside of him, isn’t it?)_

“This…this back up,” he finally asked in a voice devoid of emotion. “What is it exactly?”

“An Uzumaki,” came the quiet statement, which had Sasuke blinking in surprise. 

“Huh? I thought…?!”

“That Naruto was the last of his clan just like you? Yes. However, one must never underestimate the determination of S.W.A.T and its leaders when they need their goals accomplished.” Kakashi lowered his voice as if afraid that what he was about to say would be heard by others. “This is highly classified information, Sasuke, and I really shouldn’t tell you this but…if you hadn’t become a spirit warrior, this creation – a blend of Naruto’s DNA and remains found of his parents – might have never been completed. She is a humanoid called Karin, and her only function is to control the _bijuu_ during The Calm.”

He gave a small smile as if hoping to reassure the dumbfounded teen. “I wouldn’t worry too much about her taking over your place anytime soon. Like I said, she is just a test run and who knows? She might turn out to be a dud. Although, I have seen her at work, and she is quite impressive -”

“Do Sakura and Sai know about this too?” Sasuke asked tightly. 

Kakashi’s silence was all the answer he needed. He looked away; fingers tightening around the sword. How long had they all known? Had even Naruto known about this? That while he was foolishly acting like a lovesick idiot promising to protect the blond during his most difficult time, this so-called ‘Karin’ was being manufactured ‘just-in-case’? How much of a fool did they take him for?

“Hah,” he laughed bitterly. “Why do I get the feeling that no one really trusts me in this damn spirit world? That just because of my last name, everything I do is going to be doubted and scrutinized and judged. I can never win, can I?”

“It’s not a matter of winning or losing, Sasuke,” Kakashi replied quietly, but Sasuke interrupted angrily.

“Now I think I see why my brother really didn’t want to be a part of all this. No matter what he did, he must have faced the same silent persecution, didn’t he? That no matter how much he fought, how many times he nearly lost his life for those ungrateful assholes, they judged him all the fucking time because of his last name! The spirit world will never forgive my ancestors for what they did, will they? So why would they start with me?!” 

“Sasuke -”

“I don’t want to hear it! You’re all the fucking same! You use and use and use people for their skills and never give a damn about them otherwise! What kind of monsters are you?!”

“Isn’t that the way it is everywhere?” Kakashi asked pensively. “Even in the human world, Sasuke, do humans not take advantage of others when needed? We are really no different from the sins and crimes committed everyday below.” He waved his arm toward the dying bonfire. “We are just a little more sensitive in this realm.” He rose to his feet and dusted the seat of his pants. “I’d advise you not to overreact or do anything rash. The leaders who are still out to label you ‘traitor’, will be the first to jump all over you should you take a misstep. Just do as you’re told and there should be no problems.”

“Is that a threat?” Sasuke asked in a low voice. 

Kakashi stared at the lowered head and noticed the blanched knuckles of the younger man’s fingers around his sword. He smiled bitterly. 

“Take it as you will, Sasuke. I said more than I should have tonight.” He gave a two-fingered salute. “Take care of yourself. I will see you after The Calm.” 

And with that, he phased away from sight, leaving behind the immobile silhouette of a young man lost in tumultuous and troubling homicidal thoughts.

__

 

Friday morning arrived with little to no fanfare.

He was surprised to find that he had slept rather well the night before considering he had spent the better part of the day veg’ing out in front of the computer playing ‘normal’ video games and binging on unhealthy snacks. He had turned off his cell phone and purposely ignored Sakura and Sai stopping by to see him. His barriers were now strong enough to keep them away, and they probably got the message after their third attempt to get in.

A quick shower, a bowl of cereal and some dry toast for breakfast, a hasty check of his emails (including several frustrated ones from Hamazaki-san wanting to know when the hell he was going to get some feedback on the newest games he had sent to Sasuke – said games were still unopened and sitting by the front door),  a brief overview of his wallet (train and bus passes, some spare change, his IDs), and he felt he was ready for whatever came his way today.

He strapped the sword across his back and finally stepped out of his apartment for the first time in two days. 

He blinked hard at the glare of the fading sunset and took a deep breath, but even that wasn’t good enough to prevent the obvious ‘change’ in the air. 

_(can’t hardly breathe)_

It was a Friday, yes, but there was something heavier in the air; a thick sensation that had nothing to do with darkening clouds or the promise of rain. 

To the casual/human eye, there was absolutely nothing wrong. It was a beautiful evening and many were making the best of it. Children – in the thralls of summer – enjoyed splashing around in makeshift pools or around water hoses while parents watched on with amusement. Couples in love were lost in their selfish bubbles of happiness, while the highways bustled with vehicles darting to and fro their destinations without a care. It was your typical Friday evening except for the overwhelming ‘pressure’ that threatened to flatten him to the ground with every step he took.

_What the hell is this?_

If he was already feeling this way – and it was just a few hours to midnight – he could only imagine how overwhelmed the other spirit warriors might feel. 

“And it gets worse,” came the quiet voice behind him.

He spun around to face a rather pale-looking Sakura, who managed a weak  and apologetic smile. Sai was nowhere in sight. 

“You shouldn’t be around here,” Sasuke finally said, wishing he wasn’t concerned considering that she was just a part of the many he had put in his do-not-trust list. “You don’t look so good.”

“Thanks for your concern,” she replied, while hugging herself as if she were freezing. Since she was dressed in a pair of jeans and tee-shirt (and it wasn’t even that cold this evening), it didn’t make much sense for her to act that way. Still, he would have been a fool not to notice the sadness in those green eyes. 

“I had to see you,” she continued in earnest as if afraid he’d walk away before she could get a word in. “Is there something you want to talk about?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” Sasuke asked tightly. “You S.W.A.T. folks do know how to keep secrets, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked with genuine bemusement on her features. “I don’t -”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Sasuke hissed irritably. “You knew about Karin, didn’t you? Why didn’t you mention it earlier?”

“Karin?” She blinked as if not sure of what the name meant before it slowly dawned on her. She began to shake her head and had to trot after Sasuke, who had noticed and huffed before beginning to walk away.  “Wait! Wait! Yes, yes, I know about Karin, but that’s a project that was discarded once they realized you were on board to help with Naruto.”

Sasuke shook his head, still not breaking his stride. “Please don’t feed me another bunch of lies, Sakura. I really can’t deal with anyone’s bullshit tonight.”

He leapt gracefully over a low fence; absently noticing that Sakura did the same, but with less finesse. She was panting a little more than she would have, and to his chagrin, she really did look like she was going to pass out soon. Dare he say that she actually looked more ‘human’ than ever before. 

“I’m not lying,” she gasped and reached out to grab his wrist. “Please, listen to me. Yes, Sai and I knew about Karin – and I’m sure many others that work at S.W.A.T. knew too, but like I said, she was no longer talked about when we knew you were capable of taking care of Naruto. Tsunade-sama herself said she was going to try to talk the leaders into discarding her.”

“Guess those talks fell through,” Sasuke replied with a frown. “She’s going to be used tonight and look…I’m glad they’ve got back up and all that shit, but how do you think that makes me feel? It would have been nice if someone had mentioned this to me in the first place, then I wouldn’t have made those dumb promises to Naruto.”

“I don’t think they’re dumb,” came the quiet response. “And I doubt Naruto thinks they’re dumb too.”

He finally stopped walking at the misery in that voice; looking over his shoulder to notice her head was lowered, and she was shivering. 

“He really would have loved for you to be there with him tonight, but he also realizes how much you’re needed out here too.” She looked up with a tremulous smile. “It’s so frustrating not being able to do anything during this time. I hate feeling this helpless and weak.” She threw up her arms. “If this is what it felt like being human…I never want to return to that state ever again. Sai can’t even get out of bed. I envy you…in so many ways.”

Sasuke scowled and would have said something when she seemed to suddenly tip over as if pushed by an imaginary force. He dove forward instinctively, wrapping his arms around her trembling body.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” she panted weakly. “I’ll be fine. Honest.”

“Go back to your apartment,” he ordered thickly into her hair. “You don’t have to worry about me -”

“See him,” she whispered against his chest. “Please…go see him before you leave tonight. Shizune will take you to the underground dungeon where he’s been kept for the past few days. Hurry before he forgets who you are.”

At that, Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat in fear. To be forgotten? After everything they had been through together? Impossible! That would be ten times worse than his already established unrequited feelings. 

“And maybe you can finally spell it out to him just how you feel about him,” Sakura added with a feeble yet warm smile. “For some individuals, being straightforward and blunt about such things always gets through their thick skulls. Subtle hints hardly ever work with them.”

Sasuke felt the color rush up his cheeks at the obvious observation and stepped away as if afraid she would read into his soul if they remained any closer.

“I…I…better go,” he stuttered and turned away. “Go back quickly. Their stench is getting stronger. Give Sai my regards.”

He leapt away from sight before she could give an answer, not that he would have stuck around to listen anyway. His heart (and mind) was still reeling with the information he had learned, and all seemed to center on the possibility that he would be too late to see Naruto.

At S.W.A.T there was a sense of urgency in the air and yet a stillness that was not lost on him. The usually bustling offices on the main floor were empty except for a lone janitor cleaning an already polished floor. He didn’t even look up to acknowledge Sasuke’s presence as the mop continued its steady dance across wood. 

The door to Shizune’s private office was open, and the woman in question was fast asleep with her head upon her desk and a pile of paperwork just begging to be finished. This was unlike the secretary. The sharp spirit warrior was usually quick to notice any new arrival in the _building_ let alone her office.

“Shizune,” Sasuke called out loudly.

Her start and low gasp as she sat up and pretended to look as if she hadn’t been sleeping, would have been funny, if he still wasn’t feeling anxious. She blinked several times at the sight of the young man.

“Sas…Sasuke?” she croaked in disbelief. “What are you -?”

“I need to go to the dungeon where Naruto’s kept.”

“Huh…?”

“The dungeon,” he repeated slowly as if speaking to a child. “Where you  have Naruto locked up right now? Can I see him?”

Shizune eyed the clock and then looked back at him, the sleep now all but vanished from her visage. “We usually don’t allow anyone to go down there especially when it’s so close to the hour. He’s already probably started going through -”

Sasuke slammed his hands on the desk and leaned close until inches separated their faces. In a steady and calm voice - making sure every word was enunciated just in case it wasn’t sinking into her fuzzy-sleep-induced mind – he made his intentions clear.

“I _need_ to see him. Please.”

At least he was a little bit polite.

She must have finally noticed how serious he was, because she gulped and rose unsteadily to her feet.

“Fol…follow me,” she replied hastily, “but you cannot stay for too long or Tsunade-sama will have my head. We really aren’t allowed to let anyone else besides the special warriors delegated to protecting him…”

She realized she was rambling and decided to shut up. Besides, with the way the boy was looking at the moment, she doubted anything she was saying was going through. He looked determined for some reason or another.

She led him down hallways he had never seen before; lit only with flickering oil lamps that created ominous shadows on stone walls. An arched ancient door, which required a rather large key to unlock it, was the entrance to the bowels of the earth. Sasuke would briefly marvel at the carved depictions of warriors combating the most grotesque of _yōkai_ before it slowly shut behind them as they began to descend the flight of narrow spiraling stone steps. Like above, their only source of light was the oil lamps placed along the walls. It was much colder down here, but rather than it being due to the change in the atmosphere, it had to do with the overall ‘energy’ in this place. 

It was _stifling_.

Even as every step took them deeper and closer to their destination, it was a sensation of being pushed from all sides by an invisible wall of pressure. Sasuke was beginning to get an idea of how it must feel to be a pancake on a sizzling frying pan - and was this close to chucking up everything he had eaten today - when they finally stood on solid ground again and to a sight he would never soon forget.

Before them yawned a cavern  - as wide as a baseball field -  where about fifteen spirit warriors sat in a neat semi-circle on the ground before a golden cage as high as the one he had seen in Naruto’s ‘mind’. They were all dressed in white robes with heavy black beads around their necks, reminiscent of the ones the frog sages wore back at Mount Myōbuku. With eyes closed and hands clasped, they appeared to be in  a trance-like state; none acknowledging the presence of the visitors. There was a low humming sound emanating from them, which seemed to reverberate around and within the walls –

_(and into my soul)_

Written on the ground – and forming a circle – were strange markings and symbols; some of which he recognized from the many books he had perused in S.W.A.T.’s library. These were spells and chants designed to ward away evil, and as Sasuke peered past this spiritual barricade, it was to see a sight that nearly had his knees buckling in pain and longing.

_(Oh God…Naruto…)_

He was still human, that much was certain, but it was his position that was heart-breaking. Stripped down to nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts, his arms and legs were spread-eagled and clamped to the wall behind him in steel chains and straps that must have weighed a ton if not more. On his sweat-slicked chest was a set of strange brown markings to form an X – as if it were an extra chain to hold him in place. His head, which had been lowered, slowly lifted until familiar cerulean (though slightly dulled) eyes met his across the expanse of space. 

The familiar jolt shot right through him and Sasuke forgot to breathe. He could barely even hear Shizune’s whispered words beside him. 

“He has be in that position to restrain Kurama when it tries to escape. It was decided this was the best way.”

“…please…”

Shizune cocked her head at the hoarse request. “What?”

“I want to be closer,” Sasuke pleaded unable to tear his gaze away from the ones that held his captive. They beckoned silently (if he dared). “Can I…even if it’s just for a few minutes?”

She was already shaking her head. “This is as far as I can let you go, Sasuke. I promised to bring  you down here, and I’ve done so. Getting any closer is dangerous. I cannot -”

“I don’t want him to forget!” he cried out before she could finish; startling the poor woman who was taken aback by the passion in his eyes. “Please! I don’t plan to let him escape. I just want…I don’t want him to forget me.”

She bit her lip and prepared to argue, when Naruto’s voice drifted to her.

“I’ll behave,” came the low words accompanied with a weary smile. “I promise. I need to talk to the kid for a bit too.”

“Urgh. I could get fired for this.”

“You’ve been working here since fucking dinosaurs roamed the earth, so I wouldn’t worry about your job anytime soon.”

“Shut up, Naruto,” Shizune retorted with a smile, even as she was shaking her head and walking past the priests/warriors who still hadn’t budged or acknowledged they were even there.

She got to the cage and pressed her fingers against the large yellow seal where a sudden surge of chakra had the paper peeling back and its keyless lock swirling open with a single click. 

“Ten minutes,” she said tightly. “I’ll be waiting at the top of the steps. And don’t worry about the priests listening in to your conversation. They’re already in their world…wherever that is.”

She spun on her heels and left them alone, still mumbling something about making up some kind of story for Tsunade later on. 

However, now that he was finally alone with Naruto…Sasuke found he was hopelessly regressing back to the flustered kid who didn’t know what the hell to do with himself. It didn’t help that Naruto was scantily clad and the poignant memory of those quirked lips against his, was rushing back with a vengeance. Just what the hell had he come here to do anyway?

“You look prepared for tonight,” Naruto finally broke the silence, once it was clear the boy had no intention of speaking first. “Ready to kick some _yōkai_ ass, huh?”

Sasuke shrugged and dug his trembling hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I don’t know what to expect tonight, so I’m just going to go out there and do my job.”

“Someone sounds bitter.”

“I was supposed to be here with you,” came the low complaint. He still couldn’t get himself to look directly into those eyes now, though his face was still as hot and as feverish as he felt inside. “It was my promise. I was going to be with you during this time and look…they want to keep me away.”

“You’re such a crybaby -”

“I am not a crybaby,” he pouted and looked up and into the smiling visage before him. The warmth in that expression was enough to have his heart thudding just a little bit faster. “I just…wanted to be with you,” he finished shyly. “That’s all.”

“And you are,” Naruto said quietly. “Unless you’re a clone of Sasuke…you showed up anyway.”

“But I can’t stay -”

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to anyway. I’m not a very pretty sight when this shit goes down according to some trusty sources.”

“I don’t care.”

“I might have killed you.”

“I survived last time.”

“It’s not the same, kid.”

“I’m not kid, and I don’t care. I can take care of myself and you.”

“Sure…Mom.”

Sasuke huffed in exasperation. “You look like hell.”

Naruto chuckled and shook his arms lightly, causing the chains to rattle. “I feel like it too. It’s been touch and go the past few hours…getting a bit worse now…see…?”

He nodded downwards, forcing Sasuke to finally take notice of the still faint but dark rings and markings forming around Naruto’s bellybutton. Before he could control himself, his fingers reached out to trace its outline; hardly aware of the soft intake of breath his touch caused or the clenching fists being formed. 

“Your seal…”

“Yeah,” Naruto breathed thickly. “It’s about to leak. Kurama’s getting a little impatient. So every now and then I burst into a fever like you’d never believe. I start raving and ranting like a lunatic, but it subsides after a bit. You caught me at a good time.”

Sasuke’s fingers stopped their movements, but only to now press his hand against the taut abdomen. “Why?” he whispered with an ache that was wrenched from within. “You go through so much pain for it…why? If…if it’s taken away from you…?”

“I die,” came the quiet response. “Kurama is like my life force, Sasuke. It’s a curse and a blessing at the same time, and it’s something I’ve had to live with all my life. Besides, I can’t really consider him a bad guy. No one wishes to be trapped inside another human being for all eternity, so who can really blame him if he wants to get some fresh air every once in a while?”

Sasuke bit his lower lip and took a step closer. His hand felt like it was being scorched slowly. The heat emanating from within Naruto was  terrifying and yet he couldn’t pull away. Even Naruto’s breath – with every word uttered – was akin to being thrust through a steam room. He was burning up. Time was slipping away.

“Naruto?”

“Hmm?”

He looked up again, this time to hold blue eyes that seemed just a little too bright, prisoner. “Say my name,” he begged in a quiet whisper.

Naruto’s breath caught at the strange request. “Wha…what?”

“My name,” Sasuke repeated, his hands slowly moving up to cradle Naruto’s cheeks. God, how they burned.

“Your name…?” came the trembling, bemused query. “I don’t underst-”

“Please…” Sasuke begged. “Say it over and over again, so you don’t forget. So you _never_ forget who I am.”

Naruto’s breath shuddered. His throat tightened at the pain and fear in those simple words, for it all made sense now. Oh, how he understood and panicked at the same time. How he knew that maybe, _just maybe_ there would come a day when he would no longer recognize or remember this young man who was beginning to mean so much more to him than he had ever realized. He swallowed and lowered his lashes as their foreheads met and their breaths mingled as one.

“Sas…Sasuke,” he finally whispered; savoring the name upon his tongue. Relishing in every enunciation and syllable as if learning a whole new language for the first time. He suddenly felt like crying.  “Sasuke. Uchiha…Sasuke.”

 

Never had his name – that cursed and damned name to so many – made him want to burst into tears. He listened to Naruto repeat it over and over again, not stopping even when he shyly allowed his lips to steal away his name from the trembling ones before him. 

He kissed Naruto, not with an expertise that would have impressed anyone, but with a sincerity that was felt with every gentle nudge of teeth and gentle collision of tongues. He didn’t flinch when Naruto groaned and moved in to deepen it; straining against chain and shackles; desperate for more than just a meeting of lips. He wanted to be _in_ and _with_ this man in a way that would have made those pathetic BL games look like child’s play.

“Fuck,” he panted breathlessly when they finally pulled apart for air. “You’re really not helping matters, you know that?”

Sasuke, who wasn’t faring any better himself, could only manage a weak nod as he pressed his lips against the exposed neck; wincing at just how heated the flesh had become. It was a miracle Naruto’s skin wasn’t beginning to flake off just as it had been when he was transforming. Still he knew it was getting dangerous being here. Naruto’s eyes were beginning to change hues; those familiar blues flickering back and forth between orange and red. 

“I’m leaving now,” he said quietly, knowing there was still so much more he wanted to say, and that if he was to dare do as Sakura had suggested; that he simply blurt out that he was hopelessly in lo-

_(not now…I can…I can’t say it)_

He cleared his throat and continued softly. “I hear they’ve got someone to take care of you in my place. She’ll probably do a good job. Since she’s literally a part of you.”

“What do you mean?”

Sasuke searched the bemused visage for a moment while wondering if Naruto was messing around with him. However, the blond looked genuinely confused, causing him to ask carefully. “You don’t know about her?”

“Who?”

“Karin?”

“Who’s Karin?”

“I am,” came the firm voice, which had both men looking up at the same time.

Standing at the bottom of the steps, with a hovering Shizune in the background, was a beautiful bespectacled red-head with a hand on her hip, clad in the same white robe as the other priests. There was a no-nonsense attitude in her demeanor, and she exuded an air of propriety and authority that slightly rankled Sasuke. He frowned and straightened his posture.

“That’s Karin,” he repeated stiffly.

“What do you mean she’s literally a part of me?” Naruto asked, only to give a low grunt of pain as something within him balked in retaliation at her presence. “Fuckfuckfuck…notgoodSasuke…youneedtoleavenow…fuck!”  
He doubled over- well as far as he could go; his clenched fists and body straining. Veins and muscles were taut against his sweat-slicked skin, painting the perfect picture of the human body and yet a terrifying promise of what was to come.

“Naruto…”

“You heard him,” Karin declared loudly. She had her hands clasped now and the humming from the other priests was beginning to get louder. “You must leave now, Uchiha Sasuke. It is almost time for you to meet with the other warriors.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth and turned back to face Naruto, whose head was lowered again; the damp strands of blond hair blocking his pained features from view. Not to be deterred, Sasuke cupped his cheeks again and forced his face up; staring intensely into now dull reddened eyes to whisper fervently against his lips.

“Do not forget me, Uzumaki Naruto. I’ll come back here immediately the Calm is over and take you away. Do you hear me? I’ll be back to take you away from all of this. You’ll wait for me, won’t you?”

Nothing but a low guttural sound came from the blond, but Sasuke was not about to leave without a fight. 

“Do you hear me?!” he roared. “You let him answer me godddamnit!”

At first there was no response – no flicker of recognition - until those lips quirked into a small smile and the whispered words escaped them.

“You are such a pain-in-the-ass, Sasuke. You’re driving Kurama nuts, you know that?”

Sasuke smiled grimly and leaned in to claim one last kiss; no time to savor the rewards now, but to leave an imprint; a reminder of just who and what he was to this man before him.

“Wait for me, Naruto,” he whispered harshly. “And if you dare take him away from me, Kurama, I swear I’ll make your life a living hell.”

He spun on his heels and walked out of the cage, which was promptly locked and sealed by Karin even before he got to the steps. He would hardly give her a glance as he walked by her, but there was no mistaking her warning that followed him as he began to climb.

“He will never belong to you, Uchiha Sasuke. Try not to cling too long to your pipe dream.”

An array of insults burst into his mind at that, but he held back his tongue especially since Shizune was all but dragging him back to the surface as quickly as she could manage. 

And none too soon, for already waiting at the gates, were Neji and Hinata Hyūga along with five other seasoned members of their clan. Their usual traditional garb made him appear ordinary and out of place, for they gave an air of haughty royalty that was rather annoying. 

There was a tense silence as they appraised each other in silence – the mutual aura of instinctive (and perhaps generational) dislike permeating the air. It was finally Neji who broke the silence with an outstretched hand and a small but strained smile. He would still never understand why his clan leaders had been so gung-ho on getting their hands on this weak excuse for a warrior. Even worse was knowing that many were now considering him a ‘hero’ for defeating Orochimaru – allegedly.

_(hmph)_

“Perhaps we should let bygones be bygones for tonight, Uchiha Sasuke,” he said aloud. “I look forward to working with you.”

Sasuke stared at the offered hand for a long moment before reluctantly clasping and releasing it just as quickly. “Likewise.”

“Shall we?” Neji invited, and not waiting for Sasuke’s response, he leapt swiftly onto the nearest building where they all landed beside him and waited with bated breath.

Sasuke’s lips, still tingling from his promise to Naruto, were licked slowly as he felt every fiber of his being begin to thrum with adrenaline. He placed a hand  upon the hilt of his sword as he felt it then – 

_(ten minutes to midnight)_

– the inexplicable chill to suddenly fill the air. The other warriors were just as tense, though their expressions gave nothing away – well perhaps for Hinata whose features looked a bit too pale. 

Otherwise…the stillness was complete. Not even a gust of wind.

“Do you hear them?” Neji asked beneath his breath. “They are coming...prepare yourselves, warriors.”

Sasuke unsheathed his sword and closed his eyes, for just as the human and spirit world was now frozen in time,  his heart could hear the gut-wrenching wails of agony as Naruto began the fight of his life in the depths of Hell. 

The Calm was finally here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	16. Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes:** Whew! Been a while it seems *lol* Thanks for being so patient. Hope you like the new update. Just a couple more to go and then we might be wrapping up this chapter of our babies’ lives. Enjoy! And as always feedback is very much appreciated.

Enraged? Yes. Amused? Even more so.

_(the audacity of humans)_

They never learned, did they? 

It scoffed as it strained against a weakened seal; the familiar and robust sensation of increased control giving it new life. In this human’s subconscious – this ‘cage’ in which it had been trapped for centuries – Kurama had made a reluctant home. While it had tried to bare its fangs and rage against the injustice done since its creation and to seek the freedom he so rightfully deserved, there was still a small part of him that actually _cared_ for the human vessel. 

How pathetic.

But then again, it was entirely _his_ fault it was made to have these feelings. Previous vessels had never made attempts to acknowledge its existence other than being a burden. They were unwilling to look past their roles as ‘saviors’ while it languished in the darkness waiting for the opportune moment to strike. It considered itself lucky they had chosen its current vessel when he was just a baby for it meant breaking free was much easier than the foolish humans had expected. Its destruction of that cursed village should have been much more satisfying. It should have gloated with pleasure at their wails of suffering…if it had been able to. For the child’s parents final act of courage and determination – despite being on the thresholds of death – was to re-seal at least half of his power, with the vacant promise that it would eventually be used for good no matter what. 

_Fine then,_ Kurama had thought with bitterness. It would _live_ within this child and see how long he could last in a world that would no longer welcome him with open arms. It would slowly eat away at the child’s feelings of innocence; feeding him with thoughts of hate and loathing until he was old enough to exact even more revenge on its behalf. 

It was the perfect plan. It _had been_ the perfect plan until – 

_(I know you are upset…and I would be too)_

…the child had dared to _acknowledge_ its presence!

_(I have no one else to talk to, and everyone keeps saying I have something terrible inside of me, so I wanted to see it for myself. I know you don’t like me, and I’m not all too happy that you’re in me either, but as long as we’re going to be in this together, we’re just going to have to try to get along. All right?)_

**Loneliness.**

That was all it was; a child so desperate for companionship, it had turned to the one thing responsible for creating that terrible emotion in the first place. 

Kurama would have laughed at the irony of it all (and perhaps it did at the time), but it was more stunned at the sight (and voice) of the youngling to really find an answer. It assumed their first meeting was nothing more than a fluke, but when the child continued to make attempts to speak to it (mostly in one-sided conversations); Kurama realized it had a vessel that was unlike any other. Where the others had treated him like a nuisance – including his mother – this child had felt no real fear confronting him. Damn the consequences.

It angered Kurama for reasons unexplainable. Its duty/role was to destroy and to fester on human greed, hate, and anger. Just what in the world was this child trying to do? In retaliation – or to rebel against his attempts to ‘soften’ its personality – Kurama took advantage of those moments of weakness; when the child’s hurt would enable it to show a bit of its strength and unleash its fury upon the wicked humans who deserved its wrath. 

_(and yet…)_

When would it begin to realize it was beginning to fight on the boy’s behalf? When would it begin to realize that every hurled insult or physical abuse directed at the child would enrage it even more? That it longed to actually ‘protect’ this naïve vessel and not allow him to fall into the wrong hands? This need became an urgency with the appearance of Uchiha Madara into their lives. Kurama decided to become more vocal in its attempts to make the young man see reason. 

_(but how do you get through the mind of a human so eager to accept the first real signs of acceptance from anyone? How do you make him understand that he’s nothing more than a tool and will forever be considered that no matter how ‘loved’ he is?)_

To its chagrin, Naruto had chosen to ‘silence’ him during those turbulent years; content to remain a slave to Madara’s insidious woos. It had tried to explain to the young man the troubling history it had with the Uchiha. Of how two clans – from the very beginning – had sought for the rights to claim it for themselves, and that when the Uchiha lost said right to the Senju, it was a festering feeling of jealousy and retaliation that remained for generations. 

It was ignored, and for the first time in its life, Kurama _feared_ for its existence.

The funny thing? Madara had more than enough opportunities to extract it from the boy, yet the eccentric man had done nothing of the such; choosing to lie to those who asked or to delay what should have been inevitable. Kurama would watch as time slid by, as Madara grew even more erratic with his emotions, until his ‘deserving’ death. It had fought on the young man’s behalf, for Naruto had finally given the permission to do as it pleased on that fateful day. And perhaps it was a good thing Naruto would have no memories of the bloody battle, for it hadn’t been pretty. Still, it would have been a fool not to realize that even in the throes of death; Madara had held on to that lone yet potent emotion, which still baffled Kurama to this day. 

_(forgive me…Naruto. It turns out I am not as strong as you thought I was…forgive me…everything…)_

Had that emotion permeated itself into Naruto’s subconscious in some way? Was it the reason that despite it all, the young man still found himself unable to resist the Uchiha clan throughout the years? There were those who still shunned and despised him, but many more that were just as drawn to him. It was a never ending cycle when it came to that clan, and now – after everything he had gone through – they were back to square one. 

Did Naruto never learn? 

Apparently not, for there was this new kid to interfere; another Uchiha who actually dared to threaten it.

_/“And if you dare take him away from me, Kurama, I swear I’ll make your life a living hell.”/_

The audacity of that brat!

It roared, dispelling the pitiful spells and magical chants swirling around it. No one told it what it could and could not do! Especially not another Uchiha provoking it for dominance! So what if it was simply the young man simply being too possessive over his newfound feelings for Naruto? It had watched, in wicked amusement, at the silent/desperate signals the kid had given over the past year whenever it came to the vessel. It hadn’t been surprised at Sasuke’s decision to become Immortal, and though Naruto had done his best to keep the boy at arm’s length all this time; the slow chipping away of that protective barrier he had erected after Itachi’s death, was beginning to crumble all over again. 

_So you wish to claim him, do you?_ Kurama sneered; looking down to the comatose figure drowning in a pool of black ink blossoming around him. _Then come get me, Uchiha Sasuke! I gave you a free pass the last time. However, I promise not to go easy on you this time around! Come to me…WHAT?!_

Past the swirling chants and spells, there was something unmistakable approaching; a familiar grinding sound that was quickly following by a flash of bright red and the excruciating pierce of heavy spiritual chains that could only belong to the Uzumaki clan. 

_(damn it!)_

It knew that girl was trouble the moment her presence was sniffed. Kurama glared and snarled as she appeared before it; with hair as red as Naruto’s mother – who also had the blasted ability to keep it chained like this. However, the similarities stopped there, for while Kushina’s chains had been troublesome to deal with, this clone’s abilities were not quite as comparable. Kurama realized this quickly, for the one wrapped around its hind legs was already loosening with every strain toward her. 

_(interesting)_

It grinned in victory. “How low will the Spirit World go in its attempts to control me?” came the taunt as it broke apart the chains around its legs.

The girl’s eyes widened in surprise, but she gritted her teeth and clapped her palms together to concentrate even more. She sent forth even more of the chakra chains; the effort making her grunt with pain and fall to her knees beside Naruto’s still body. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead and threatened to blind her as she blinked them away furiously. She would not give in. Not when everyone had put so much hope and trust in her. 

“Give up,” Kurama sneered. “You are almost to your death, you weak imitation of once great warriors. Your creators should be ashamed they allowed you to exist.”

It snapped apart the chains wrapped around its torso and lunged for the girl; all fangs and snapping jaw, ready to take a bite out of what she had to offer. However, it was stunned to find itself flung back with such force; it would take another second to realize it was the girl responsible…no…not quite…

_(you!)_

“Didn’t…anyone…teach…you…not…to…fuck…with…an…Uzumaki?” came the barely audible gibe as Naruto lowered his trembling arm to flop back to his side. He was smiling; a weak and bloodied one, but a smile all the same as he met the wide crimson eyes behind the foggy glasses. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” he wheezed and lowered his lashes. “Damn…this sucks…”

“You shouldn’t speak,” Karin ordered, though she was still trembling from the surge of chakra to lace through her at Naruto’s assistance. Even in this weakened state, to think that this man still had enough to cause some damage to Kurama was astonishing. “Conserve your energy. My job is to make sure it does not kill you. I will protect you as best I caAAAARGH!”

Watching her being lifted and flung like a rag doll against the cage, had Naruto wincing and trying to get up again, but damn if even that little act was like walking through quick sand. His body was not cooperating with him, and as he darted a worried glance in her direction; he feared she was not going to make it.

“Damn her,” Kurama growled and snapped away the remaining chains impatiently. “Damn you too, Naruto!”

“Couldn’t you give her a break?” he panted and tried to sit up. “She’s my only relative, you know.”

“No, she isn’t. She’s a pathetic excuse for your parents and you accept that?” It pounded on the ground angrily. “Do you not find it a travesty?!”

Naruto lowered his head wearily. This feeling of emotional and mental draining…as if everything was simply being sucked away from him. It was a terrible feeling and he was powerless to resist. How he had even managed to conjure up enough chakra to help Karin was a miracle in itself. All he wanted to do was sleep. _Sleep._ Just sleep it all away. 

“Travesty, shmavesty,” he murmured in a drunken slur. “I don’t give a fuck anymore, Kurama. This is just so tiring, you know? If you wanna kill her, then kill her. You know I don’t have the power to stop you at this time anywa-”

“No…not…yet…” came the low choked words from behind him, causing both Naruto and Kurama to look up in surprise. 

Karin was struggling to her feet; despite the troubling spreading bloody stain on her once pristine robes. Her glasses were gone, but it did nothing to deter from her rather wild beauty, or maybe it,” she finally grunted and took another trembling step forward. “And even if it costs me my life…it is what I have sworn to do.”

Kurama studied her in silence for a moment. 

_(the audacity of humans)_

She could barely stand and yet she dared it. Naruto could barely _think_ and yet he dared it. And there was, of course, the Uchiha boy who actually _threatened_ it. This really was too much.

It threw back its head and laughed; a deafening sound of bitter mirth that shook the very foundations they stood upon. 

_(enough of this farce)_

And with a grin full of wicked intent, Kurama let forth a final roar of victory and engulfed the two beings trapped within its lair. It was finally its’ time to teach the Spirit World a thing or two about dealing with powers beyond their comprehension.

__

 

Midday, and for the first time since they began, the spirit warriors could finally have some time for themselves. 

Sasuke hung on to the sword he had plunged into the earth to steady himself. His legs trembled violently, barely supporting him. He was drenched with not just sweat, but the stink and stains of all the dead _yōkai_ he had killed since this nightmare began. The sweatshirt he had worn was long discarded and the tee-shirt beneath was a pitiful excuse for scraps of clothing still clinging to his battered flesh. Blood oozed from raw wounds; scratches and bites he was unable to avoid in the thick of combat. His throat and mouth were now so extremely sensitive, that even the act of swallowing was torture in itself. He must have used his fire technique so many times he lost count. As for his eyes…

“Fuck,” he cursed as the world shifted on its axis again and everything doubled upon itself. 

He had used his _sharingan_ a bit too much, and as if that wasn’t bad enough – when a situation had risen when all their lives had been in danger – he had dared to use _Amaterasu_ to finish the job. The end result? A right eye that could barely open, and the left that was close to being useless. 

He shuddered as yet another deafening shriek filled his ringing ears, and he squeezed both eyes shut to try to block it out. 

_(what kind of a world is this?! Just what the fuck did I sign up for?!)_

He had no idea what he had been expecting when talk of The Calm had started; even when Neji had tried his best to brace them for what was to come. It was as if every damn _yōkai_ in existence had decided to show up today and aim for him in particular. He knew the others were doing their best to fight back, but Sasuke kept feeling that they really all just wanted a piece of him. They had smelled his blood and knew what he represented. Hadn’t that always been the case from the beginning?

“You should rest,” came the quiet voice from behind.

He jumped at the gentle touch of her hand and shrank away from the contact before he could control himself. His skittishness almost earned him a fall on his ass, but he managed to steady himself again with a sword that was coated with thick (almost black) blood. 

Hinata didn’t seem to notice his actions, or if she did, she chose to ignore it. Like him, she was no longer as ‘pure’ as she had once appeared. Those royal-like robes had been discarded to reveal a plain but much more fight-effective shirt and pants beneath. Covered with streaks of blood, her features still managed to look serene though exhausted. She gave a weary smile and held up a small bowl of congealing rice cakes. 

“You should eat something,” she said. “You can barely stand. If you want, I can try to heal you a little before you return out there. We should be done soon.”

 _Done soon?_ Was she in fantasyland? Did she not see or hear all the screeching out there? There was no end to this! Even if they continued fighting until the morning, those bastards would keep on coming!

“I…” he began to protest, wincing at how strained his voice sounded. 

“Do as she tells you,” came the firm command from someone who had no plans to take “no” for an answer. 

Neji was striding toward them, and if Hinata was a bloody mess, he was even worse. Sasuke did not want to really acknowledge this, but watching Neji in battle had been absolutely awe-inspiring. This guy simply didn’t give a fuck and was ready and willing to fight anything that would get in its way. His wrath was ten times more whenever he noticed his ‘precious’ Hinata-sama in trouble. If Sasuke didn’t know any better, he would have sworn those two were in a relationship even though he was sure they were related by blood. 

_(or did the Hyūga clan just marry within themselves? Strange)_

Still a part of him was pissed that Neji didn’t seem to be showing any signs of weariness. It was probably one thing the older man was going to use over him next time. With a grunt, Sasuke tried to straighten himself instead of leaning like a drunk over his weapon. He managed half of the way, until his knees buckled again and he sat heavily on the ground with a wince. 

_(damn it!)_

“Here you go,” Hinata offered as she knelt beside him. She placed the bowl and a bottle of water within reach and dug into her shirt to withdraw what appeared to be a small jar of some green pasty stuff. “I will rub this on your arms and chest, if you don’t mind. It will absorb into your flesh and should help heal some of your wounds. I am not as good as Haruno Sakura, but I can try my best.”

His fuzzy gaze tried to gauge the shy woman’s expression, but he must have said something in gratitude because he was sure she smiled. He took one of the rice cakes and nearly swallowed it whole; his stomach craving nourishment despite the gore around them. Her hands on his flesh were cold at first, but as she began to rub in soothing circular motions, a welcome warmth seeped into him almost making him sigh in relief. 

So what if she wasn’t as good as Sakura? Hinata was doing a damn fine job anyway. 

_

Neji, who was leaning against the wall of the abandoned warehouse they were using as a ‘camp’ of sorts, watched the proceedings in silence; a pensive expression on his visage.

_Uchiha Sasuke, eh? Perhaps the elders really did have a reason to want you on their side._

It annoyed him, but it was an annoyance that was tinged with cautious admiration. To think that the boy he had once considered a liability would be able to rescue them, not just once, but three times in all, was amazing in itself. There had been moments during the ‘cleansing’ (for Neji refused to acknowledge this madness as anything but a purging of unclean souls), when their Immortal lives had teetered dangerously on the edge. So yes, there was no risk of dying, but they also couldn’t risk having less fighters. If enough _yōkai_ had an advantage and could suck away your life force, what good was one’s Immortality then? 

He shuddered as he recalled the power of _Amaterasu_ when it was finally summoned. Of how those black flames had been quick to consume Malevolents more powerful than he had ever encountered. The elders were no doubt watching their every move, and they must have cheered at the sight of Sasuke unleashing his powers today. It was one of the reasons they had lobbied with S.W.A.T for the opportunity to work with the young man. In turn, if Sasuke was to approve of the Hyūga style of fighting, perhaps someday he would be willing to join their ranks. Why continue the generational rivalry between both clans? Why not just work together?

Or so their naïve thinking was. 

Neji rolled his eyes and stretched aching muscles. There was no way in hell that Sasuke would want to join their clan. It would be a blow to his pride, and oh what pride the Uchihas always had.

“…eyes still bleeding,” Hinata was saying as she dampened her handkerchief, with some water, to press tenderly against Sasuke’s face. “How is your vision?”

“Not at a hundred percent,” Sasuke admitted reluctantly, though he appreciated the gesture. He patiently sat still and allowed her to wipe his face; hoping he looked less like someone who had just waded through a sea of blood. “But it will be fine eventually…I hope…”

“We had better hope for that,” Neji interrupted; for it was a little troubling to see Hinata dote so much on the newcomer. He tried to quell the jealousy and pushed himself away from the wall. “If you’re healed well enough -”

“Let him rest for about ten more minutes,” Hinata urged quietly. “We can meet up the others then -”

“We do not have the time for that,” Neji cut in impatiently. “It’s either he fights with us, or he can go back home.”

Sasuke’s jaw worked and giving a small but tight smile to Hinata, he rose to his feet; albeit unsteadily. Looked like Neji was challenging him, and who was he to back down from a –

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!**

“What was that?!” Hinata cried out at the inhuman wail to reach them. It was far different from the usual shrieks _yōkai_ gave when killed, and as the trio dashed out of the building and into a dull summer afternoon, they didn’t need a visible sign to tell them that something was terribly wrong. 

“Something’s coming!” one of the other warriors bellowed as he dashed toward them. “All the _yōkai_ …look…!”

And look they did for it appeared that the spirits were desperately trying to flee – not from the spirit warriors – but from something much darker…sinister…overpowering.

“Is…isn’t that coming from the direction of S.W.A.T?” Hinata asked in a voice that was barely audible. 

Rumbling darkening clouds – as if a nuclear bomb had exploded in the distance – sped toward them with a gut-churning stench of sulfur (death) and smoke (death). The _yōkai_ caught in the clouds’ path were disintegrated at contact. Flashes of lightning intermingled with the clouds, and the spirit warriors could only watch in fearful silence as what had once been a murky, gray afternoon became a scene from the depths of Hell. It was a sudden darkness that blocked out the sun; not even allowing a ray to break through.

“Get back into the building,” Neji was commanding as he reached out for Hinata. “We have to stay low until it passes!” 

And yet even as he said this; even as the hairs on the back of his head stood on edge; he would have been a fool not to realize what chakra this belonged to. Hadn’t he just fought with him/it a year ago and still had the scars to show for it?

_To think the bijuu has escaped despite all their plans…we are all doomed._

“Let’s go!” he bellowed again as he noticed Sasuke still standing in place with his gaze turned toward the heavens. “Sasuke! Come with us now!”

It was just about upon them; the force of the clouds’ destructive quality uprooting electric and telephone lines, road signs, statues, cars and anything in its path. It was a goddamn tornado of Death, and yet this stubborn brat refused to budge. Neji, who could barely hold onto Hinata, now, pressed against him, tried to take a step forward – whether to beat some sense into Sasuke or to yank him to safety by force. However, the wind was so strong, he could barely see in front of him. He held up an arm to shield his face, bracing his feet as hard as he could, while cursing his damn long hair for getting in the way. He squinted through the flying debris to see what was going on. 

“Sasuke!” he yelled again. “Don’t do it! Whatever you think you can do, you cannot deal with the _bijuu’s_ power! You will die! Its strength is enough to take down Immortals! Do not tempt fate!”

Was it his imagination or was that brat actually smiling? And not just any smile, but a smile that appeared to be full of confidence and almost mocking. He watched the boy, who had just minutes earlier been on his last legs suddenly let loose a surge of chakra into his sword. 

“As you wish, Kurama,” Sasuke seemed to bellow (or at least it sounded like that to Neji). “I accept your challenge, you son-of-a-bitch!”

And with a roar that should not have come out of the mouth of such a young body, Neji watched in horrified fascination as Uchiha Sasuke ran toward the jaws of Darkness and allowed himself to be swallowed whole. 

“Oh God,” Hinata sobbed as she fell to her knees and covered her face with trembling hands. “Oh God! What are we going to do?!”

Neji couldn’t trust himself to speak as he knelt by her side to wrap his arms tightly around her quivering form. He could only stare at the spot where Sasuke had once stood; the vivid image of that young man taunting and inviting Death, the lasting impression he’d forever have. 

__

**Holy shit!**

_(so this is what you really look like, Kurama)_

“Whoa!” He leaped out of the way as the outstretched paw and claws nearly took a chunk of his flesh before it buried itself into the ground and created a miniature earthquake. Without giving the boy a chance to breathe, it attacked again, this time sweeping away several vehicles and a house in the process. 

“Why don’t you stay still and let me have my way, Uchiha Sasuke?” Kurama taunted as it towered over the figure that appeared as an ant to it at this stage in the game. “I promise it won’t hurt too much if you just stay still!”

It lunged again, and Sasuke was barely lucky to escape this time. Thank goodness for Hinata’s decision to heal him right before the shit hit the fan. If not, he would have been Kurama’s finger food in seconds. He sped toward the right hind leg, only to cry out in pain as one of those damned nine tails whipped around to smack him aside as if he were nothing more than an insect. 

He slammed hard into a wall, though smart enough to prevent his head from making contact. Unfortunately, the rest of him wasn’t so lucky and he could feel bones cracking within him as he struggled to regain his senses. He swallowed the glob of blood to fill his mouth, though not fast enough as some dribbled down his chin. He wiped it away with a shaking arm.

_Damn…this isn’t going to be easy at all._

“The audacity of humans,” Kurama growled as it scratched at the ground impatiently; seemingly unaware of the craters it was beginning to form with that act. At this rate, the entire city was going to have to be re-designed and Sasuke doubted even the Cleaners had that much energy to get it all completed in one night. 

He staggered to his feet; sword held before him. 

“Isn’t it funny, that while the real world sleeps and is unaware of this, you are here about to die for their sake? Did no one tell you that I can rip through the barrier between our world and theirs and make their lives just a little more miserable than it already is?”

“Then why don’t you?” Sasuke sneered. “If you are capable of doing all those things, what’s stopping you?”

Kurama grinned; the spittle from its widened jaws dropping to the ground like rain. “Why I had to indulge in your little game first, Uchiha Sasuke. You challenged me to a fight and here I am to accept it. Let it not be said that I never fulfilled my obligations. It would have been rude of me, wouldn’t it?”

“Where is he?” came the quiet question that hardly betrayed the thundering of his heart. His grip around the sword tightened. “Where is he?” 

Kurama cackled and without warning, swung its tail again; sending Sasuke flying into several parked cars. This time the boy didn’t move for almost five minutes. 

“Where is he? You ask.” Kurama patted its stomach and seemed to burp. “In here with that new relative of his…and a few of those blasted warriors who tried to get in my way. I’ve had a good meal already, but one more morsel of an Uchiha wouldn’t…hmm…interesting. Interesting indeed!”

For around the still comatose boy, a shade of purple chakra was beginning to form into an oh-so-familiar shape of an opponent it had fought centuries ago.

“Well, well, well,” Kurama remarked with amusement. “Looks like an old friend has stopped by to pay a visit. I knew you showed signs of being able to conjure up Susanoo back at the cave, but this is quite impressive. Madara must have more faith in you than once assumed.”

Now in its complete form, Susanoo was just as tall as Kurama and had the appearance of a warrior, though its clothing and armor was a throwback to its original owner’s era. Its four arms held onto undulated blades glowing and thrumming with barely suppressed chakra. Its features resembled that of a tengu, and as it took a threatening step forward, the earth shook with its presence. 

Sasuke groaned and lifted heavy lashes. 

_Wha…what’s going…ah!_

His aching eyes widened in awe (and slight fear) at what he was sitting in. The Susanoo back at the cave had looked nothing like this! What the hell was this thing? And how was he to know if it was for him or against him? 

“Well don’t just sit there!” Kurama howled. “It’s yours to command, Sasuke. Tell it what to do and it will do so. Really. You should try to get along with your abilities. It’s what makes you a good warrior.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth. What the hell was wrong with this damn fox? Did it think all of this was a game?! It kept talking as if they were simply having a sparring match! This was infuriating!

He waved his arm in a slicing motion and just as Kurama had said, Susanoo responded in grand fashion. Two of the undulated blades went flying toward the beast; nearly making contact if Kurama hadn’t leapt away but only to retaliate with a wave of chakra from its tails. Sasuke cried out in pain as they were tossed to the side, but he bit his lower lip and held on; daring Susanoo to attack again until a direct hit was made. 

_I can’t sense you anywhere,_ he thought with increased panic as both creatures performed their dance of Death. _Why can’t I sense you anymore, Naruto? Do you really no longer exist? Was that really our last farewell? Damnitdamnitdamnit!_

“Aaah, this is no fun,” Kurama complained. “You are not giving it your all, Sasuke. Why are you crying already? Do you not want him to live, eh? Is this the way you fight for the one you love? Pitiful. Maybe you don’t deserve him after all.”

“SHUT UP!” Sasuke roared with a fury and frustration that was wrenched from the depths of his soul. He raised the sword above his head and leapt as high as he could. Damn the consequences of his sudden rash decision. “Give him back to me, goddamnit! GIVE HIM BACK!”

Despite his angry tears, he would notice the forming black ball of energy around the widened jaws. It felt as if Kurama was drawing in every dark chakra around him. However, with a frown of determination…

“As if I’d let you,” Sasuke growled and with all the strength he had left, he used Susanoo’s four arms to deflect the incoming attack. The effect was immediate as Sasuke felt the ball’s energy sear though his pores and into his bones; almost rattling them until he was sure a few more ribs (and maybe a femur) were shattered in the process. Susanoo was also beginning to disintegrate, but refusing to give up, Sasuke jumped out of his protective shield and allowed himself to be swallowed by the beast – his sword at the ready.

__

 

(a foolhardy decision, Sasuke)  
(…)  
(why do you fight so hard for him?)  
(you should know the answer by now)  
(you are all the same, aren’t you? What makes you any different from the others? Do you know how hard it is to be in this vessel that allows himself to be hurt time and time again? It becomes frustrating and appalling after a while)  
(…I’m sure it does…and I know you’ve seen just about everything he’s been through, but I am not like them. You should have sensed it by now)  
(I refuse to let him be used any longer and if it means eliminating him from this world, then so be it. He has suffered enough, don’t you think?)  
(But you’re being selfish, Kurama. You choose to think for him. Why not let him make the final decision on whether or not to live? If he’s survived with you all this time, what do you think his answer would be?)  
(…*sigh*)  
(I only ask you to give me a chance to prove myself…to both of you. And if it means fighting with you every other day until you say “yes” to me, then so be it. I am willing to deal with your stubborn nature)  
(you are a strange one indeed – even your brother gave up after a while)  
(I am not my brother)  
(obviously)  
(*sigh*)  
(will you give him back to me?)  
(…)  
(Kurama!)  
(what is my motivation to do so?)  
(I love him)  
(you and every other inconsiderate asshole before you)  
(with all my heart)  
(where have I heard that before? *yawn*)  
(I’m being serious here!)  
(yes, you are, so what? I’m enjoying my time out, so allow me to rampage a little more, goddamnit)  
(you’ve done enough for one day. The Cleaners are never going to forgive you for this)  
(screw them all…and all those self-righteous spirit warriors out there)  
(Kuramaaaaa…)  
(you know you’re going to have some explaining to do when this is all over. In fact…I’m thinking Naruto might be in trouble too)  
(and whose fault is that?!)  
(*shrug*)(dunno)  
(you are such a…urgh. Now I see where Naruto got some of his habits)  
(should be the other way around – that kid has ruined me…why are you smiling?)  
(no reason)  
(don’t be mistaken! I can still be cruel and mean if I choose to be!)  
(and no one is going to take that reputation away from you anytime soon, so please…)  
(…)  
(…)  
(…don’t screw it up, Uchiha Sasuke. Do you understand?)  
(yes)  
(I am always going to be a part of him, don’t you forget that)  
(yes)  
(and because I’m guessing he might have heard some part of our conversation…I think it spares you the embarrassment of having to actually confess your feelings to him in person)  
(…!!!!)  
(HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

__

 

There was a brilliant flash of light; so blinding that spirit warriors in other regions would swear they had witnessed it at the time. 

Neji and Hinata – as well as their fellow fighters – who had remained hiding in the warehouse, would look up in mute fascination as the skies cleared just as quickly as the dark clouds had appeared. They rose slowly to their feet and stepped outside again where the destruction was still absolute, and yet…

“It…it smells…” Hinata began softly and closed her eyes as the first drops of rain began to fall from the heavens. “Wonderful,” she finished with a breathless laugh while lifting her hands in jubilation. The other warriors – usually stoic – dared to do the same, while Neji remained immobile with his hands crossed before his chest in thoughtful silence. 

_Just what the hell did you do, Sasuke?_ he pondered as he watched the final cleansing take place. _And just how fearful should we all be of the powers you now possess?_

The Hyūga clan was definitely not going to let this slip by.

__

 

He lifted his lashes to the sight and warmth of sunlight on his features. 

Before him, his English teacher’s voice droned on monotonously. Outside the windows, thousands of _sakura_ petals floated with the gentle caress of mid-morning breeze; creating an illusion of pink rain on a clear day. Birds chirped happily on sturdy branches, a couple daring to hop onto his window sill to serenade him. 

There was a sharp whistle from below, which forced him to look up with a start. He craned his neck a little to look out the window. For a moment, he wasn’t sure of what he was seeing until the man in the green tracksuit stepped back with a wide grin and a sheepish expression.

Right there. In front of the whole damn school. He was standing in the middle of what looked like a circle…no…not a circle…a _heart_. He had drawn a heart on the ground with the words… 

**I LOVE YOU TO!**

…scribbled inside of it. Only he had forgotten to put an extra ‘o’ at the end of that word.

Still…he blushed in pleasure at the sight; ignoring the English teacher calling his name to answer a question. He had no idea when he climbed onto the sill or pushed open the window; neither was he planning to question why Naruto was patiently waiting with open arms as if jumping out from the third floor was perfectly normal. But he did it. He would jump no matter how high he was because he had fought hard for this and he deserved every damn moment with…

“Ouch!”

He rubbed his nose (and probably bruised ego); glaring at the floor as if it was responsible for his shattered fantasy/dream. With a low groan, he got onto his hands and knees, pushing aside newspapers with blaring headlines ranging from “INEXPLICABLE TORNADO RIPS THROUGH JAPAN” to “FAMILIES CLAIM TO HEAR STRANGE BOOMING SOUNDS FROM SKIES” to the non-stop television coverage of people swearing they had seen some weird activity from their homes the other day. 

_(strange things indeed)_

He chuckled at their obliviousness and rose to his feet to prepare himself for the day. Though it was just about six in the morning, it was never too early when it came to his new daily ritual (well, at least for the past four days). 

By the time he arrived at S.W.A.T, an hour later, it was to the now embarrassing sight of admiration and awe in the faces of the workers there. He was treated with a little more respect these days especially from ‘veterans’ who had doubted his allegiance in the first place. Sasuke knew there was going to be another meeting of clan leaders by the end of the week, and he had been cordially invited. As of today, they were _still_ awaiting his answer. Besides, if he had to listen to Tsunade and Jiraiya try to apologize to him (on behalf of those stuck up elders) one more time over their decision to use Karin, he was going to punch something. In fact, he was beginning to think going to that meeting and punching each and every leader – especially “A” – in the face was a pretty good idea -

“Hallo, Handsome,” Sakura greeted with a cheeky smile once he stepped into her office in the medical unit. “You’re looking much stronger today.”

“Been doing the exercises you told me to,” he admitted as he allowed plunked himself onto the examination bed for another round of checkups. She had healed him as best she could the day after The Calm, but since he wasn’t Naruto, there were still a few parts of his battered body that needed a little more time to recover. 

Halfway through Sakura’s poking and prodding, Sai popped in to say “hello”. After catching up with minor pleasantries, he announced that he would be traveling with Kakashi, in a couple of days, to North America. They would be scouting for some new talent (possible new Immortals) within the next few weeks.

“We’d invite you to come along,” Sai teased. “But we get the feeling you’d rather be here with a certain someone.”

Not for the first time today, Sasuke felt his features burn at the insinuation. He figured that it was now an open secret about his commitment to Naruto; after all, who the hell chose to stay beside a comatose patient all day – three days in a row? If it hadn’t been for Sakura finally forcing him to go back to his apartment last night, it might have been four in a row.

When Sai finally left, there was a brief moment of companionable silence as she worked on her computer while Sasuke remained on the bed, swinging his legs back and forth gently. He finally cleared his throat and asked timidly.

“So…uh…no change yet?”

Sakura smiled without turning away from the screen. “No change, but he is responding to your presence, so that’s a good sign. His vitals are still stable, and his brain waves do show activity.” She stopped typing long enough to look at him; concern in her eyes and voice. “However, I still cannot tell you if he will regain his memory completely. You just have to keep doing what you’re doing, okay?” 

He nodded solemnly; that hard chunk of fear settling in the pit of his stomach again. Doubt – like an incessant fly – refused to leave him. What if it was all for naught? That everything he had fought so hard for, was nothing more than a farce? That Kurama had finally won by making it impossible for Naruto to be ‘hurt’ again by an Uchiha despite his promises. 

“Cheer up,” Sakura urged as she moved over to sit beside him. She cupped his cheeks and pinched them playfully. “Naruto’s not going to forget you that easily anyway. Once he opens his eyes and sees your face, bam! It’s going to be like magic.”

“Yeah right,” Sasuke grumbled and escaped her clutches with a playful poke at her forehead. “When he sees my face, he’ll probably run for the hills.”

She laughed. “And I trust you’ll run after him to bring him right back to where he belongs, eh?”

He lowered his gaze and kicked his feet a little faster. “Maybe,” he mumbled. “Anyway…” He cleared his throat again and forced his voice to remain steady. “What ever happened to Karin?”

Sakura’s shoulders drooped a little. “She’s under care. Kurama really did a number on her too, and word is they might scrap her eventually since she wasn’t able to pull it off. You should be happy about that, right?”

 _Should he?_ Yes. It would mean he wouldn’t have to deal with her meddlesome attitude, but at the same time…

“…relative…”

“What was that?” Sakura asked. 

“I said, she is a part of him too…in a weird way,” Sasuke mused with a sigh. “She’s like his sister or something. So…I’m thinking a part of him would want to know he had a relative out there instead of being all alone. At least I had the pleasure of knowing what a family was like and I had Itachi…he…he’s never really had anyone. Know what I mean?”

He blushed again as he met the knowing look in her eyes, forcing him to lower his quickly. “Forget what I said,” he muttered and jumped off the bed to reach for his jacket. “It meant nothing anyway. If they scrap her, they scrap her. No bother to me anyway. See you around.”

“Ah, Sasuk…!”

But he was already gone before she could call him back, not wanting to listen to whatever else she might say about his sudden change of heart when it came to the red-head. If Naruto ever awakened and decided that he wanted to have a ‘sister’ around, then who was S.W.A.T to say no? After all, it was their morbid decision to create her in the first place. 

He shook his head and stepped out of the elevator, which led to the a much quieter floor with private rooms so comfortable, you’d think you were in a hotel instead of a hospital. There was a vending machine next to the waiting room, where he planned to purchase a couple of drinks while he kept Naruto company. However, nothing in the world could have prepared him for the sight of the person –dressed in the drab hospital gown which was opened behind to reveal a pair of bright orange shorts and a familiar faintly scarred back – kneeling before the vending machine. This person was desperately trying to reach for a coin beneath and was straining with all his might.

“Son of a bitch,” he complained and whined. “That was my last damn…HEY!”

The sudden hard kick to his ass nearly had him banging his head against the machine, causing him to turn around with indignation on his features. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re…?!     Oh…it’s you.” There was a breath of an awkward pause, a sheepish grin; a rubbing of his head followed by the timid presence of an outstretched hand. 

“You…eh…you wouldn’t happen to have 100 yen on you, would you?”

This time the kick had him flying into the corner of the room.

__

 

“I can’t believe you’d do that to a dying man!” Naruto wailed minutes later, when he was tucked back in bed again (more like Sasuke dragging him back to bed before any nurse could notice the commotion).

Naruto was met with stony silence; the _NewType_ magazine an obvious blockade from reading the young man’s current expression. He cleared his throat and tried again.

“I’ve told you I’m sorry a million times already. What more do you want from meURGHMPHF!”

“Shut up and eat some more,” came the terse command as another peeled orange was shoved into his mouth to silence him. 

Naruto sputtered and nearly choked on the fruit, though he managed to extricate it and chew a bit more carefully. The magazine was back up again, and he was glad that Sasuke was at least still sitting beside the bed – which was a good sign, right?

“It’s not my fault,” he grumbled after another few minutes of tense silence, broken only by the lowered volume of the flat screen television against the wall. 

A page flip.

“I only woke up about an hour before you showed up,” he explained beneath his breath. “And I was so damn hungry, I had to eat something. They didn’t even leave me a cup of water here. I couldn’t find my clothes or wallet either, so I had to search for some loose change to get something from the vending machine. I really haven’t been faking my coma. I swear.”

Sasuke flipped another page; wanting to believe that Naruto was telling the truth and that he hadn’t been making a fool of himself whenever he came here yapping away his innermost thoughts and fears to a person he had thought ‘dead’ to the world. How many more times had he whispered those three words into Naruto’s ears or made _shoujo_ -worthy vows to remain by his side to eternity and beyond? How many times had he worried himself sick, thinking, wondering, fearing that Naruto would awaken and not even recognize him? And yet – as unpredictable as he always was – their reunion would have to involve him mooching off his student yet again. 

The man really had no shame.

“You’re supposed to be taking care of your _sensei_ ,” came the low whine as if Naruto had heard his thoughts. “And you treat me like this. How is that fair?”

When Sasuke stubbornly remained silent, he huffed and pouted. “I kept my promise, didn’t I? I didn’t forget you, Sasuke.” He paused and this time, his voice was much lower and the words repeated slowly as if trying to believe it himself. “I didn’t…forget you…I couldn’t anyway.”

Sasuke’s cheeks flared with color and he gripped the pages of the magazine a little tighter, especially as he recalled Kurama’s teasing all over again.

(and because I’m guessing he might have heard some part of our conversation…I think it spares you the embarrassment of having to actually confess your feelings to him in person)

_Oh God._

What the fuck did he do now? Act as if nothing happened? Hope that Naruto would have forgotten that little part? Or was Kurama currently laughing its ass off inside there? Sasuke would bet that creature was. 

“Oy,” Naruto finally called out impatiently and leaned over to tug on the magazine firmly. Sasuke struggled back to keep it place, but at the sudden loud ripping sound, both men were left holding onto a chunk of it.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Sasuke argued. “It was a new issue too, damn it!”

“I’m trying to talk to you and you keep shutting me out. What’s your problem anyway?”

“I don’t have a problem,” he grunted as he tried to reach for the other half, which Naruto was holding up and away from him with a smirk. “Give it back.”

“Hehehe…oops! Almost got it…not!”

“Damn it, Naruto!” 

He ducked the incoming cuff intended for his temple and just as the boy leaned over again to reach for the magazine; Naruto wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him in quickly. He would hardly give Sasuke a moment to catch his breath or to process what was happening before claiming lips he had thirsted for the moment they said their farewells an _eon_ ago. 

_(damn, I’ve missed you)_

It was a rude thrust into Sasuke’s mouth; a demanding request for entrance into a warmth he craved like a junkie needing his fix. He moaned as his hips began to move on their own accord, swaying gently to meet the ones that matched his uneven rhythm. Either that or the boy was simply trying to get into better position; after all lying halfway across Naruto wasn’t all that comfortable. 

“Mmmphfff…” 

“Mmm?” 

God, this kid tasted so fucking gooooood. He couldn’t get enough. But wait….was Sasuke hitting his chest or something?

“Mmmphfff!”

Sasuke was finally able to find the strength to pull away; a thin silver thread of saliva between them, features flushed, lips delightfully moist and swollen, dark eyes slightly glazed but still focused enough to show some form of disgruntlement.

“My…my legs,” Sasuke finally panted breathlessly, while trying hard to ignore just how firm and possessive Naruto’s hand was on his right ass cheek. The gentle squeeze to ensue was not helping matters at all. The ache in his groin was now something that was all too obvious. “They…they haven’t fully recovered yet…”

Naruto looked down at the jean-clad legs in question, and with a raised brow…

“What are you doing…?” Sasuke squeaked as Naruto lifted him by the waist to switch positions. As his body was lowered (almost tenderly) to the bed, Sasuke couldn’t help the immediate influx of BL scenarios to flash through his mind. How many simulations had he gone through where the exact same thing had happened? And to think it would be in a hospital room of all plac-

“If you think I have plans to fuck your brains out in here, you’re sadly mistaken,” came the husky whisper accentuated with a wicked grin which had Sasuke covering his reddened visage in humiliation. 

Naruto laughed and tried to pull them apart. “God, you’re so damn easy to read, Sasuke. I really have to make you stop playing those things.”

“Sh…shut up,” came the muffled whimper behind the hands. “I wasn’t thinking about that at all.”

“Sure you weren’t.”

“I stopped thinking about you in terms of that a long time ago,” came the strained protest. “I know you’re not a character from a video game. You’re flesh and blood and…and…”

He couldn’t continue; his shame was absolute. He fully expected to be laughed at again or looked at with pity, but when there was the warm sensation of Naruto’s breath against his fingers, followed by feather-light kisses upon each of them, Sasuke’s breath caught and shuddered in response. 

“I’m glad to hear that at least,” Naruto murmured as he licked at the trembling left pinky before nibbling gently on it. He raised his eyes to meet the feverish ones before him; eyes dark (with that familiar tint of red) watching and studying him with an intensity that made him blush. 

“You did something no one else could,” Naruto continued as he lowered his gaze again. This time when he tried to remove Sasuke’s hands, there was no protest. He raised the left palm to his lips and placed a hard kiss upon it; his words bathing over the slightly sweaty flesh. “I did my best to hang on to my sanity while you fought with Kurama…and I have to admit I didn’t do it all alone. If Karin hadn’t been there to hold my hand and to remind me of who and what I was…I might not be here today, or rather, I really might have forgotten everything about you.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened. “Karin…?”

Naruto smiled and turned his attention to Sasuke’s right palm. “Yes, Karin. The one you thought was a pain-in-the-ass. She’s stronger than we gave her credit for, and she stuck with Kurama as best she could until he took over completely. Even when all seemed bleak, she still tried to keep me going.” His smile became a grin. “I know it’s weird to think of her as a sister, but it does feel that way.”

“She _is_ your sister,” Sasuke whispered, a part of him wishing Naruto would stop with the teasing foreplay, while another prayed he wouldn’t stop.  He squirmed and fought back a groan. “You finally have someone you can consider a relative.”

“Hmm…”

“And she’ll always be here for you if you want that…”

“…and you?”

“…me what?”

Naruto raised a brow; a brief flash of his teeth as he fought back a grin. The boy’s face was becoming even redder. “Will you always be here for me if I want?”

Sasuke died a million pleasurable deaths, when he was saved the trouble of answering at the sensation of Naruto’s tongue and teeth against the hollow of his neck. He gasped and arched into the delightful pressure; his entire being taut as wire and throbbing with a _need_ for this thing – this dark, deep, raging _thing_ bubbling within – to be satiated once and for all (if ever).

He couldn’t wait another minute, but he would be the first to also confess that he was terrified at daring to make the first move. This was going to be his first time anyway, and if Naruto held true to his promise not to take him here, then all of this was pointless. 

“…to me.”

“Hu…huh?” he gasped when he was finally allowed to come back to earth. Naruto was pulling away from him slightly; his head cocked to the side as if listening for something. “What’s going on…?”

“We’re leaving this place,” came the cryptic statement as Naruto leaned over the side of the bed to grab the backpack Sasuke had come with. 

“Wait…wait a minute…!”

“Someone’s coming,” Naruto explained quickly as he tucked the bag close to their bodies and reached out to clasp Sasuke’s hands tightly within his. “The last thing I need is for them to interrupt us when things were just getting good. We’ve got a lot to catch up on, right?”

“Yes, but how the hell do you plan to get us out of here?” Sasuke asked in bemusement. 

“How else?” came the incredulous response. “Teleportation. Duh.”

“Teleport…?” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “You’ve never teleported before, Naruto. You don’t know how to.”

“Says who?” The blond tried to look hurt. “Just because you haven’t seen me do it, doesn’t mean I can’t. I just choose not to. You’d be surprised at all the things I _can_ do.” This part added with a  playful wink that sent another rush of blood to regions Sasuke was already having problems trying to control. 

“Now hang on to me and close your eyes-”

“I swear, Naruto, if you don’t do this right and you end up teleporting us to some random place, I will kick your fucking-”

“Oh for God’s sake, Sasuke. Just shut the fuck up already and trust me for once. Besides -”

“Besides what?” he queried even as he began to feel the surge of chakra enveloping them in a protective cocoon. But unlike the fiery flames emitted by Kurama during their battle, these were flames that soothed him, flames that made him feel like he was finally where he had always belonged. These were flames that promised to scorch whatever few doubts and fears he might have when it came to their relationship. And as he finally met those beautiful yet playful blue eyes, Sasuke felt his heart begin a wild staccato dance which left  him breathless.

_(oh God…Naruto…)_

“Wherever we go, Sasuke,” came the quiet whisper as their foreheads met and their clasped hands tightened. “I promise, with all my heart, to take very good care of you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	17. White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooohooo! Well, it’s finally here! We’ve got just the epilogue left, so I hope this final chapter makes you all happy (well some of you I hope *cries*)  
> In other fun news, I got fan art! *does the snoopy dance* Here’s a sneak preview of it below. She’s still working on the finishing touches, and I can’t wait to show you the full thing when it’s complete. So awesome! I looove seeing my words come to life and more than appreciate artists who are able to do so. (((hugs)))
> 
> Ahem! So…Warning! Graphic content ahead!
> 
> Enjoy and as always your feedback is more than appreciated! Thanks to those wonderful folks who have stuck with me from day one, and to the newcomers just discovering the story, I really appreciate the feedback/kudos. *bows gratefully and flies out*

* * *

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

It was the making of a fantasy come true; the flawless segue into a moment he would never forget for the rest of his life. Naruto couldn’t have convinced him any better if he tried; those husky words of unspeakable promises making him tingle with an anticipation he was too shy to vocalize. 

He had read and seen enough to know that the first time wasn’t going to be easy (hell, hadn’t he witnessed Naruto’s moment with Madara?). But he knew – deep down he _knew_ Naruto would never hurt him in that way. That despite his unpolished mannerisms and lack of tact, Naruto would (probably) make a wonderful partner in bed. He would be kind and considerate; willing to go slow just to make sure his naïve lover was ready. Sasuke prayed he wouldn’t sound too pathetic during those moments (aka sounding like a stuck pig squealing as some of the voice actors in the BL games tended to do). He would have to do his best to control himself should it ever get to that point. 

It was just a great pity all of that would have to wait for a while, for reality had the uncanny ability to fuck things up when one least expected it.

He sighed and slid a little lower down the bench in sullen misery. 

It should have been the perfect segue into a night of passion, except both men had forgotten just where they were and who was in charge of said place. Did they really think they could escape the clutches of an astute Tsunade? She wasn’t the damn leader of the S.W.A.T for nothing. She must have sensed Naruto was about to pull a fast one, because one minute Sasuke had his eyes closed, sighing in pleasure at being taken away from the antiseptic stench of a hospital, to having them wide open as Naruto’s warmth was unceremoniously  yanked away from him. 

_(damn it!)_

Embarrassment was too plain a word to describe how he felt then, for the childish urge to dive beneath the covers and hide from the lecturing woman (who had been tugging on Naruto’s ear despite his cries of “ouch! Ouch! Ouch!!”) overwhelmed him. Sakura, who was hovering at the doorway, had met his gaze and looked apologetic. She mimed that she tried to keep Tsunade away, but no luck. 

Still, it wasn’t hard to see that Tsunade cared for the blond warrior, and that was emphasized when she suddenly engulfed Naruto in a bear hug to sob silently into his neck. She might present the picture of staunch authority, but it was moments like these that reminded one of her true nature. She loved each and every one of her spirit warriors, and would do anything to keep them safe from harm. Sasuke had used that opportunity to sneak out of the room, giving them the privacy they needed. Somehow seeing Tsunade in that vulnerable state made him come to a decision.

And nearly twenty-four hours later, here he was – dressed in the only good black suit in his possession – outside the grand doors of the Tribunal awaiting his ‘trial’…of sorts. He clasped his hands on his stomach, aware they were trembling a little. He took a deep breath and sat up again, resisting the urge to begin pacing up and down the hallway where towering portraits of great leaders of various clans lined the paneled walls. Oh, surprise, surprise! There was no picture of an Uchiha amongst them though Sasuke had recognized Hashirama and Tobirama leading the pack. He squashed down the feeling of bitterness at how his clan was determined to be removed or ignored from history, but then again…

_(what do we have to brag about? We’ve not exactly been the greatest supporters of the Spirit Warriors, have we?)_

“There you are, Sasuke,” came the breathless cry as Sakura jogged down the long hallway to meet him. 

She looked lovely, yet professional, in a navy blue dress suit; her smiling visage flushed with either delight at seeing him or from her quick trot to make it here on time. He rose to greet her, making a face when she shook her head, ‘tsked’ beneath her breath, and moved closer to adjust the tie he had been tugging restlessly all morning. 

“I feel like it’s choking me,” he complained. “I can’t breathe.” 

This wasn’t far from the truth because the pressure was beginning to get to him. He could feel his chest tightening with every strained breath he took.

“It looks much neater this way,” Sakura chided. “Remember there are some who will try to judge you for every little thing including your appearance.”

“Like I give a fuck -”

“Language, young man.” She smirked and tapped his chest gently before reaching out to clasp his sweaty palms. “Relax. It’s going to be all right. It’s not as if they’re going to imprison you or anything. You single-handedly saved us from Kurama’s wrath, and they should be kissing your ass for it.” She squeezed his hands gently in reassurance before leaning close to peck him on the cheek. “Just take a deep breath and it will be over quickly.” She smiled. “Besides, you-know-who sends his well wishes.”

The color filled his cheeks again, and he lowered his gaze to the floor. He would have loved to ask if you-know-who was going to show up at all, but the doors to the courtroom were being opened slowly by two uniformed guards. Sasuke stiffened – pulses quickening - as the officer of the court stepped out with a light bow and nod of acknowledgement.

“Uchiha Sasuke?” the bespectacled man asked in a high-pitched voice. He looked so lanky, prim and proper in the black military-like uniform it was almost comical. 

However, Sasuke was in no mood to laugh as he simply nodded in response. “Yes.” 

He withdrew his hands from Sakura’s and sank them into the pockets of his pants. No use showing the entire courtroom his nervousness. He clenched them into fists.

The officer bowed again. “If you will follow me this way. Your hearing will begin shortly.”

He spun on his heels to lead the way, and with one last look over his shoulder at the smiling pink-haired woman who mouthed the words “good luck”, Sasuke took a deep breath and squared his shoulders to meet his fate.

_(it’s showtime)_

* * *

 

He studied her profile with a wistful smile; still amazed at how they looked nothing alike and yet there was a connection that went beyond mere physical appearances. With the help of Tsunade and Sakura, he was able to lobby for her release from the Lab, with the stipulation that he’d have complete custody and be her legal guardian. In other words, should she ever fuck up, he would have to take full responsibility. 

Naruto could live with that.

At the moment, she was focused on her novel; hardly paying attention to the man watching her from above. Every now and then she’d push her glasses up the bridge of her nose before flipping the next page. Whatever the hell she was reading must be extra interesting because she didn’t even budge when a couple of birds perched on her shoulder to keep her company. 

“I still can’t believe we’re related,” he murmured to himself.

“True,” came the amused response behind him. “Considering how you can’t sit still for more than ten minutes at a time to concentrate on any reading material, I’m guessing she absorbed more of your father’s genes.”

Naruto raised his middle finger in response to that taunt before turning away from the window to pout at his mentor. Jiraiya grinned and let out another cloud of smoke from his pipe. On his impressive walnut-polished desk was a crystal ball, which looked murky from Naruto’s vantage point. However, Jiraiya tapped it with a finger and quirked a brow.

“You sure you don’t want to watch this? It’s about to begin. He just walked into the courtroom.”

Naruto shook his head and turned away again; refusing to admit that the bit of news had sent his heart skipping a beat in pride yet concern; though he wasn’t sure why he ought to feel the latter. It was just a hearing not a trial. Sasuke had done nothing wrong. He had saved all their asses – his especially – and all this pomp and circumstance was a just a chance for the clan leaders to take a shot at the poor kid. 

Ah, if only he had teleported away from that room fast enough. Perhaps he would have ‘convinced’ Sasuke not to show up at the tribunal. But then again, if he hadn’t…those assholes would find even more reasons to keep him under extra surveillance, something Naruto didn’t wish for. He shifted restlessly and placed his chin on the windowsill; admiring the way Karin’s red hair fluttered in the wind. According to Jiraiya, his mother had been a redhead too. It was apparently a trait of the Uzumaki clan. He tried to imagine how he’d look with red hair…

“Ah, Nara Shikaku is giving the opening statements,” Jiraiya commented. “Sasuke looks quite calm and collected. Impressive for someone so young.”

“I don’t need the fucking play-by-play,” Naruto grumbled. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“Bah! As usual “A” looks like he is constantly constipated,” Jiraiya continued, completely ignoring the loud sigh of exasperation this elicited from his companion. “If he scowls any more, his eyebrows will fall off.”

“I’m going to keep Karin company,” Naruto announced. He didn’t want to think too much about Sasuke’s situation or he was probably going to find himself running down there and pulling the boy out of the room to spare him the judgmental accusations. Besides, he was still trying to recover from a severe case of blue balls. Their last time together had not ended in a way he would have liked. 

_(damn it all)_

“She doesn’t want your company,” Jiraiya interjected amiably. “You talked her damn ear off last night until she couldn’t take it anymore, remember? I believe she punched you in the face.”

Naruto waved that incident off. “She just needs more time to warm up to me, that’s all.”

“You’ve got plenty of time to do that. Allow the poor girl to enjoy a bit of fresh air, eh? Oh…Tsunade’s speaking now.”

“She’s like a newborn babe,” Naruto mused as Karin’s head began to nod in weariness. “She’s going to need a lot of her older brother’s guidance.” He liked the sound of that, and he grinned at the idea of protecting her should she fall into the wrong hands. Pity the bastards who try to hit on her. If they were not worthy, he was going to kick their asses. 

“Aren’t you worried that she’s going to become attached to Sasuke since she’ll be attending his school?”

Naruto paused at that thought, but at the recollection of the boy’s indirect words of commitment to him, he smirked and closed his eyes. “I’m not too worried about that.”

He failed to notice the knowing expression on his mentor’s face, though the light chuckle filtered to him. 

“It’s good to see you this relaxed again,” Jiraiya finally admitted with a warm smile. “For a while there, I was really worried I was going to lose you completely.” His smile faded and sadness seemed to filter into his eyes. “I thought I had failed you after all these years, Naruto. I wanted so much for you to see that life didn’t have to ‘end’ after your revenge was complete. I just wanted…”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Naruto interrupted quietly. He lifted his lashes slowly. Karin’s book had slipped from her fingers to the ground. She was fast asleep. 

_(it’s always the simple things…isn’t it, sensei?)_

“I owe you so much, _sensei_ ,” Naruto admitted with a growing lump in his throat. “Maybe I never really showed it to you over the years, but…you’ve always been there. You were the crutches I needed when my spiritual legs were broken, and for that…I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

There was a thickened pause in which his words seemed to swirl within the space between them like warm syrup. When Jiraiya finally cleared his throat and spoke again, there was a rawness there to betray how emotional he felt.

“Sentimentality was never your strong suit,” he grumbled. “Stop trying to act so wise now, you brat.”

Naruto chuckled and closed his eyes again. “I learned from the best after all.”

“And now?”

“Hmm?”

“All I have taught you…so far you’ve done a good job with _your_ student. Do you plan to continue?”

“Of course. We’ve just scratched the surface of his learning. I have to surpass you in some ways, _sensei_. Sheesh.”

Jiraiya laughed and studied the strong back with a sense of pride. 

(ah how you’ve grown in more ways than one, Naruto)

“Eternity is a long time,” he added quietly when his laughter subsided. “You don’t need me to remind you of that.”

Naruto pursed his lips. “I know. A lot of things can happen between us in the future, and I’m not naïve enough to believe there won’t come a day when he’ll wish to be separated; to seek his own path and find out who he really is. When that time comes, I hope I’ll be as strong as you were to let him go.” 

He tried hard to ignore the dull ache in his chest at this scenario, but knew deep down it was going to be inevitable. No matter how romantic the idea of being with each other until death do them part, Sasuke was still so very young and he would need to spread his wings eventually.

“I’ll always be there for him,” Naruto continued with a small smile. “Just as I’ve always been from the day he was born. That will never change.”

 

Jiraiya nodded solemnly in approval. “In that case, you have my blessings. Just remember to take responsibility when the time comes. I know how uncontrollable your hormones tend to become during mating season -”

“Eeeh? What the fuck is the ‘mating season’?” came the sputtered protest. “And stop talking like that, you goddamn pervert…!”

“Which reminds me of a new book I’m starting and you’ll be a fine candidate - well actually both of you would make fine candidates for the main characters. Do you want to hear about it?”

“Oh God…” Naruto groaned and covered his ears, but Jiraiya wasn’t paying attention for he launched into the grand outline of his novel about two star-crossed male lovers from the distant world of –

_(dear God)_

He blushed and gave a small smile; cracking open an eye to notice his ‘sibling’ had curled up on the bench in a fetal position. The pages of the book flipped with every gentle caress of the mid-morning’s breeze, and as it finally came to a close, Uzumaki Naruto knew without a doubt that a new chapter of his life was now about to begin.

All he had to do was fill in the blank pages.

* * *

 

As Sasuke kicked off his shoes, tugged off his tie and jacket, flung them across the living room, and undid the top few buttons of his dress shirt (nearly popping those out in his haste), he decided to go back to the top of his list and curse out every bastard to get on his nerves at the farce of a hearing. 

Luckily, it started with the grand-daddy of them all – “A”. I mean what the fuck did “A” even mean? Short form for “Asshole”? That wouldn’t have surprised him in the least. 

He unzipped and climbed out of his pants and underwear, kicking them into the closet, before padding into the bathroom in only his unbuttoned shirt. He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a heartbeat before splashing some water on his face, muttering a loud expletive before setting up things for his bath. 

Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Tsunade, Mei, and to his surprise, Neji (and some other members of the Hyūga breed), Sasuke might have been slandered to Hell and back. “A” had spear-headed the litany of accusations, claiming that Sasuke had an idea of where more of the Immortal-Killing seals were hidden. There was the claim of him actually making up the story of Orochimaru’s presence at the ‘so-called cave’, and that his ‘carelessness’ had made Kurama’s seal weaken much faster than he should have. 

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Sasuke had roared back before he could control himself. “I had nothing to do with that, you piece-of-...!”

He was spared from further getting in trouble when Tsunade rose up in his defense; her voice firm and loud in the murmur-filled courtroom (though a quick glare from her was enough to tell Sasuke he had been close to fucking up big time). “A” would have shut her down with more of his strident protests, when _Neji_ – of all people – had excused himself to actually back him up! Sasuke was sure his jaw was someone on the floor (just as well as everyone else in the room considering the history between the two clans after all), but to hear Neji recount the events of that day, and to tell just how brave and heroic Sasuke had been, was nothing short of amazing. If he could have hugged the guy, he would have – though Sasuke was sure that wouldn’t have been appreciated.

(and it would take wild horses pulling him from all sides that a small part of him was actually beginning to imagine what it would be like to ‘touch’ Neji…his _hair_ in particular)

Sasuke flushed and scrubbed his hair a little harder with more shampoo than necessary, while clamping his thighs a little closer together. This was not the time to be thinking of such a thing especially when the one person’s support he could have used had decided not to show up. 

_Wouldn’t have minded seeing your face there, Naruto,_ he thought with a pang of misery. However, he realized it wouldn’t have been prudent. If Naruto had been there, “A” and his cohorts would have had a field day tearing him apart. And now knowing a little bit more about Kurama and his personality, he doubted the _bijuu_ would have allowed the insults to continue. The courtroom might not be standing by the time he was done with his retaliation.  

_(heh…Kurama)_

His lips twitched into a smile as he rinsed himself. Recalling their conversation was a reminder of just how insignificant he truly was in the grand scheme of things. This world – both human and spiritual realm – was way too big for a young man like him to fully comprehend. There were always going to be mysteries yet to uncover, but knowing he would now have an eternity to explore them all to his heart’s content made his heart full. 

“Would you have approved of the path I’ve chosen, Dad…Mom?” he would ask much later as he sat cross-legged before the lone reminder of a family he once had. 

He caressed the worn wooden frame tenderly before allowing his fingertips to outline each face slowly…over and over until the hard lump in his throat nearly made it difficult to swallow. He missed them. He missed them so damn much. More than words could ever express. He missed every smile, every hug, every word, including every cherished memory of a family unit doomed and fated not to last. It was a cruel thing for a child to deal with, but he felt he could pat himself on the back for not choosing to simply curl up into a ball and die. 

“I have friends now,” he whispered and drew his knees to his chest. “Sakura and Sai and Kakashi and Mei and Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama…and maybe Karin…eventually. Hinata’s nice too…and Neji…still not too sure about him. Maybe that nod he gave me outside the courthouse was a sign that we might become friends in the future, but I’m not holding my breath. But isn’t that amazing, Dad? That our two families can actually get along …even if I’m the last of us? So don’t worry too much about me. I’ll be just fine in this new world. Just promise to keep watching over me, okay?” 

He raised the photograph to his lips before rising to his feet to put it back in place. He stepped back once sure it wasn’t going to fall off the wall and met his brother’s eyes again – which he was sure suddenly appeared to know just a little too much. 

“It’s okay, _nii-san_ ,” Sasuke said, not without a hint of smugness. “I’ll be the one to take care of him in your stead. I accept your blessings.”

At his computer, with the towel still draped around his neck though now clad in a pair of black shorts and one of Itachi’s old band tee-shirts, he checked up on missed emails (the usual aka Hamazaki threatening to break off their ‘deal’ if Sasuke didn’t write him back ASAP!), the latest non-BL PC games he could acquire with his incoming paycheck (The Calm had produced quite a few worthy gems Mei-chan and Chiyo-baasama were likely to drool over) before tackling long overdue schoolwork.

He was just in the midst of figuring out what the hell _z2 = (x + iy2)_ was all about, when he felt the familiar shift in air pressure behind him. 

_(hn. About fucking time)_

He tried to hide his smirk as his hand swiftly reached for the unsheathed sword beside his desk, to point it straight at the man who had barely settled into position.

“The fuck, Sasuke! Are we back to this again?! Watch where you point that thing…HEY!”

Schoolwork forgotten, Sasuke moved with a grace and speed that would have impressed Naruto if he didn’t find himself suddenly pinned to the floor with the young man straddling his waist – sword now pointed at his chest. 

“You took too long to get here,” Sasuke replied with a raised brow. “I thought you’d be waiting for me outside the courthouse.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Naruto replied with a quirk of his lips. “Anticipation makes the moment much more pleasurable, don’t you think?”

Sasuke felt the color creep into his features. “I have school work to finish up.”

“It’s summer vacation!”

“It’s for cram school! I do plan on going to college you know.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and winced when his attempt to lift himself up a little resulted in the sword nearly burying itself in him.

“Oy…could you point that thing elsewhere? That sword creeps me out.”

Sasuke did as told with a toss of the weapon across the room. He tried to get off – now incredibly aware of just how promiscuous a position he was in - for he was damn sure that warm and gentle nudge against his ass was about to match the problem ‘growing’ in his shorts. Now would be a good time to diffuse the situation, considering Naruto was beginning to grin at his obvious discomfort. Damn him.

“Why do you smell like curry?” he blurted out quickly. 

Naruto raised an arm to sniff it as if trying to make sure he really did smell that way. “Ah, that’s because I took my baby sis to dinner tonight.”

“Huh?”

“Karin.” Naruto beamed and it was all Sasuke could do not to pinch his cheeks. The guy looked so happy at saying those words, it was ridiculous (and yet oddly touching). “She wanted to try some Thai food, so I took her to this really great restaurant downtown -”

“Did she pay for it?”

“Of course not! What kind of a big brother do you take me for?”

“Uh huh, but whenever you have a chance you won’t hesitate to ask _me_ to pay for any meal we eat outside. Oh that’s right; you’ve never taken me to a restaurant yet.”

Naruto raised a brow. “Are you pouting?”

“No.”

“…do you want to go on a date? Is that what this is all about?”

Sasuke turned crimson and hastened his attempts to get off his tormentor. “I don’t want to go on a date,” he stammered in embarrassment. “I’m not a girl!”

“Oh? I thought all your sleazy games would have showed you that some guys do go on dates. You still have those tickets to that club, don’t you?”

“What’s that got to do with anything? And besides, I don’t feel like going.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Naruto mused as he reached out to capture Sasuke’s wrist, stilling his movements. “Your ears turn red whenever you start pulling the Pinocchio act. You can’t tell me you’re jealous of Karin?”

“I am not,” came the trembling protest for Naruto had pulled him back, only this time, he was forced to sit on his lap. He turned several more shades of red when he felt those strong arms wrap around his waist to hold him prisoner. 

_(ah…)_

“Do…don’t,” he gasped and lowered his head; Naruto’s incoming kiss meeting his temple instead of his lips as intended. He curled his toes and didn’t know what the hell to do with himself. His heart was a pounding snare drum within his chest. His hands felt useless against the black dress shirt Naruto was wearing, though his fingers somehow still found themselves fiddling shyly with the gold buttons. Naruto let loose a soft sigh; his warm breath brushing some strands of hair across his forehead and cheeks. 

“Don’t what, Sasuke?” came the quiet question. “Do you want me to stop?”

_(nonononononononono!)_

Sasuke bit his lower lip and buried his heated face against the strong neck in resignation. His lips felt the pulse of every heartbeat and blood pumping, his hooded gaze marveling at the way Naruto’s Adam’s apple bobbed with every swallow. Was the older man nervous as well? The clasped hands behind him tightened as if unwilling to let him go. There was a moment where they both simply listened to each other breathe, and when Sasuke almost felt as if their heartbeats were now synchronized, he whispered softly.

“I’m…I’m nervous, okay? I know I should have an idea of how it works, but…I don’t think -”

“Have you played with yourself before? You can’t tell me you haven’t,” came the low but surprising query, which caused Sasuke to want to find a hole to bury himself in. 

“Sasuke?” Naruto prodded when it appeared as if the other man would never speak.

He barely heard the “yes” whispered, and he smiled into the dark hair. 

“Just your fingers…?”

Sasuke burned, but figured it was no use lying about this any way. “Fingers and…and…um…a toy…,” he croaked. “Hamazaki…for fun…he sent me a…uh…vi…vibrator…”  
  
 _(God this was humiliating!)_

“…and it wasn’t as if I wanted to use it,” he sputtered in defense. “But I just…there was this one game where the characters used it and one thing led to another…”

And he had ended up using the small black device for the first time in his life. Where his fingers had failed to bring him to completion, having that equipment inserted into his anus had sent him over the edge in mere minutes. He squeezed his eyes shut as the sudden memory of those breath-sapping moments had him twitching a little. It had been a while since he used it, so –

“Where is it?” Naruto growled into his ear before capturing the lobe between his teeth to nip on tenderly. He would have to thank this Hamazaki in person someday. 

Sasuke shivered.

_(oh fuck…can’t concentrate…)_

Naruto made things worse by shifting positions suddenly, eliciting a low gasp as now obvious arousals brushed each other within bothersome constricting clothing. 

“Sasuke,” came the husky call of his name which had him clutching Naruto’s forearms tightly. “Where is it?”

“Un…under my bed…black box…I…”

But he was silenced as his lips were seized in a kiss guaranteed to devour him easily. He welcomed the intrusion, wrapping his arms around Naruto’s neck as his moan of pleasure got lost amidst impatient and hungry tongues.  He hardly felt himself being raised – and probably would have blushed up a storm if he realized that Naruto now had him in a bridal lift – until his back collided with the familiar soft sensation of his bed and pillows. He writhed in delight as his lower lip was caught between Naruto’s teeth before the blond completely pulled away. When he finally lifted lashes that felt heavy, the expression in those darkening blue eyes above him caused his already strained erection to swell with lust. 

“Give me a minute,” Naruto whispered thickly. “I’ll be right back.”

“Oh…okay…”

When Naruto left – and Sasuke’s guess was that he was heading to the bathroom – he shook himself out of his dazed stupor to roll off the bed. With hands that still shook (his head and heart still reeling); he searched for the familiar black box and almost panicked when he felt nothing for a while until his fingertips finally brushed against it. 

His already flushed features darkened as he opened the box to reveal its content. He had not really found it funny when Hamazaki sent it and could remember the conversation he had on the phone with the guy. 

_/It’s just a thank you gift for all you’ve done for me so far! Enjoy it, eh?! You’re old enough to know how it’s used./_

And _enjoy_ it he had indeed. 

He withdrew the small black oval object, which had come along with a bottle of cherry-scented/flavored lubricant (that was almost finished by the way), and checked to make sure the damn batteries were even still working. A single click and its immediate vibration against his palm was enough to have him clamping his legs tightly. 

Dear God. Was it really so bad that just the sensation was enough to get his anal muscles yearning for contact? He glanced toward the bathroom area and wondered how long it would take Naruto to get himself prepared. He looked back at the toy and subconsciously licked his lips. He squirmed again and bit his lower lip. He was horny as hell. No other way to put it. It had been a while since he used this, so why not prepare himself a little before Naruto showed up? There was no harm in doing that, was there?

He rose on unsteady legs to peel off his shorts, not too surprised to find that his briefs was already damp with pre-cum. Already familiar with the pattern of getting himself off, he lay back on the bed and reached for the lubricant; pouring as generous an amount as he could manage on both device and his fingers. He closed his eyes and tentatively explored the ‘taboo’ region – which was funny considering he had taken a shower and had really thought nothing of it then. But now…

“Aaaah,” came the breathless sigh as a slick finger found its way past the tight ring of muscle. It probed and withdrew…went in again and pulled out carefully. He licked his lips and arched off the bed a little; slender hips quivering as his motions went a little faster. When the second finger found its way in, his sigh became a breathless gasp; inner muscles stretching just a little wider as they prepared the highly sensitive area for a much bigger invasion. 

_(oh…fuck…aaah…)_

His left hand searched blindly for the device; nearly knocking it to the floor with his clumsy attempts. However, he need not have bothered for the rough voice to grate into his ear nearly had him coming there and then.

“Couldn’t wait after all, eh?”

_(oh God! Naruto!)_

His lashes flew open to meet the amused darkened eyes above him, but he would be spared the agony of explaining himself when Naruto claimed his lips hungrily again. Sasuke would vaguely realize that his teacher was now clad in only his pants, for the wonderful sensation of that naked broad chest against his and his trembling left hand reaching out to claw at his back – was nearly his undoing.

He tried to withdraw his fingers from their probing, but was stalled as Naruto held them in place.

“Don’t stop,” came the low command against swollen lips. “You have no idea how fucking sexy you look when you get off, do you?”

_(me? Sex…sexy…ah!)_

He arched off the bed at the sudden intrusion of another finger inside of him; his low cry swallowed within another kiss that was designed to take his breath away. When a rhythm was established, Sasuke’s toes curled into the sheets as he was stretched wider than he ever had. His maximum had been two fingers and then the toy, but with Naruto exploring him in such a way…

“Aah…ah…oh fuck! I’m…I’m…” He dug his fingernails into Naruto’s back, barely hearing the low hiss of pain this elicited. He was unable to control the low moan of dismay when Naruto withdrew, but not for long, for the soon familiar low whirring sound of a certain device and the soon vibrating sensation against an already twitching hole was enough to have Sasuke crying out in pleasure.

Damn his worry about sounding like a stuck squealing pig. This was too much.

“Come for me,” Naruto ordered in a low growl as he pushed the toy deeper into him until Sasuke was nothing more than a quivering mass of ecstasy. His body writhed beneath the stronger and bigger one, his lower lip caught between his teeth as every nerve-ending in his body was triggered. His tee-shirt was roughly pushed up to reveal pink-tinted nipples hardened to relief; a sight that was not ignored as Naruto latched on to suck on greedily. 

“Oooooh God!” Sasuke moaned/cried as quaking hands buried themselves into Naruto’s hair. He was a complete mess, made worse when Naruto was ‘evil’ enough to increase the vibration on the device. Sasuke nearly bucked him off the bed, turning to his side and clamping his legs tight to control the surge of adrenaline and indescribable pleasure coursing through him. God help him, but he was going to have the mother of all orgasms if Naruto didn’t let him –

“No…please…” he begged when he was turned onto his back again to meet the grinning visage of his partner. “I can’t…I’m going to co…come…”

“Then let me taste you when you do,” Naruto cajoled as he slid down the bed, strong and slightly calloused hands running down the battle-scared body until they steadied on his hips. He appeared to want to memorize every wound and bruise Sasuke had sustained during combat, his lips trailing over the faint scars until they tasted the salty thickness of the boy’s semen. 

He looked up as he teased the quivering thick flesh, his own erection throbbing with desire at the picture the boy presented. He had never dared to go this far with his older brother; always feeling just a little bit guilty at daring to show this side of himself to anyone. And yet here he was, about to savor a sinful treat reserved for him after all these years. He lowered his lashes and licked from base to tip; his tongue resting and relishing in the pulse of throbbing veins against it. He moaned and licked again and again, not stopping until his lips pursed over the bulbous tip to toy with the cum-slicked slit. He could feel the vibrator within the boy and he smiled as he engulfed the entire length in his mouth to feast on it to his heart’s content. 

Hearing Sasuke’s low cry was heaven. For a young man whose vocal expressions ranged from quiet (and sometimes judgmental) comments to roars of anger – this was a side Naruto was happy only he would have the pleasure of knowing. This vulnerable, beautiful young man was his to protect and to love until Fate saw it fit to keep them apart. But until then…

_(ah yes)_

The boy stiffened. The organ in his mouth swelled. There was a choked sob from above, and soon the helpless thick spurts of satiation filled his mouth. He swallowed as much as he could, while slowly withdrawing the vibrator from a hole that was now more than ready for what he had to offer. He released Sasuke’s cock with a loud smack and lick of his lips, while marveling at the sight left behind once the device was completely withdrawn. He was now able to insert two fingers easily, but found his hand and arm trapped as Sasuke clamped his thighs together again.

“No…” came the low whimper into the pillows. “No more…I can’t take it anymore…you’re going to fucking kill me…”

“Oh no, you’re not going to leave me hanging,” Naruto whined as he probed deeper and Sasuke’s hips moved on their own accord; a choked sob escaping his lips. “It’s not fair.”

“Aaah…please…”

“Sasukeeee…”

Sasuke finally turned his head a little; his glazed darkened eyes looking down at the begging ones below. He was still trying to catch his breath from an orgasm that still had him trembling and damn if Naruto wasn’t helping him with the way he kept fingering his ass like that. 

“…can I touch you then?” Sasuke asked softly. He blushed at the grin this garnered. 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

He finally withdrew his fingers, but not before making a show of licking them slowly much to Sasuke’s embarrassment. He sat back and watched as the young man slid off the bed to fall to his knees – since standing at this point wasn’t going to be an option – and almost held his breath at the delectable sight this made. Sasuke was pushing his thighs apart to get to the zipper of his pants; tentative fingers brushing over an erection that was threatening to rip a hole right through the cloth. It was a reminder that this was going to be Sasuke’s first time doing this with anyone, and his heart trembled at the naivety shown. 

He smiled warmly and cupped the boy’s chin to look into the flushed and slightly fearful visage. 

“It’s okay,” Naruto encouraged tenderly. He leaned down to kiss lips that welcomed his thorough attention. Sighing with pleasure as they finally pulled apart. “Just take it easy and watch your teeth. No biting. Try to remember how I did it with you and you should be fine.”

_Remember?_ Sasuke was sure his mind was so far gone when Naruto was sucking him off, he could barely remember a damn thing, but then again, how difficult could it be to give someone a blow job. The characters on the games had made it seem easy but…

_(this isn’t a game, Sasuke! This large, warm thing in your hand is definitely not made out of pixels. God, he’s so big. Please don’t let me screw up. Please don’t let me screw up. Please don’t let me…)_

He sucked shyly and was rewarded with a deep sigh. He looked up with concern, but at the sight of Naruto’s closed eyes and the expression of bliss on his visage, was enough to give him some confidence. He took a little more into his mouth; amazed at how ‘alive’ this thing felt against his tongue. He closed his eyes and licked slowly…carefully…hoping his teeth wouldn’t cause any damage for the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Naruto. Shy fingers caressed the base and sacs, fondling them and earning even more breathless moans from his partner. 

“So good,” Naruto whimpered. “You’re doing so well, Sasuke…”

It was hard not to feel a rush of happiness at that praise, and it emboldened Sasuke to take even more than he felt he could; feeling the muscles of his mouth work a little harder as they struggled to contain the man’s hard length. He nearly choked when there was the sudden gentle pressure of Naruto’s hand on his head, urging him to suck a little faster. Sasuke did his best to oblige, but to his dismay, he realized he couldn’t keep up. He knew Naruto was close to coming for those powerful thigh and torso muscles were beginning to tighten in response. 

_(ah…I…I can’t…)_

He longed to get some air, to catch his breath, to pause a little before he passed out and ruined a perfectly good evening. However, he didn’t want to disappoint this man he loved more than life itself. He wanted to please him as best he could, but as he felt the tears of frustration begin to form in his eyes, he was forced to withdraw with a gentle push of his head.

“I’m…I’m almost there,” he pleaded miserably as he met those understanding blue eyes that sent his heart turning into a pool of mush. “I’ll try harder…just…I just wanted to -”

_(make you happy too)_

But the words were stuck in his throat as he was lifted up to be straddled across those thighs he had caressed just moments earlier. 

“Don’t cry,” Naruto whispered against his temple as Sasuke lowered his head in shame. “I don’t expect you to know everything the first time -”

“But I wanted to -”

“Shssh,” came the husky interruption as Sasuke felt the unmistakable nudge of something thicker – much thicker than a measly egg vibrator – against his prepared anus. “Just close your eyes and hang onto me, my love.”

_(oh…)_

“I’ll show you just how good it can be…”

_(…my love…)_

Sasuke – who was still basking in the glow of that term of endearment – sank his teeth, before he could control himself, into Naruto’s shoulder at the slow thrust of that hard length into him. When he broke through skin and had the first sensation of warm blood on his tongue, he hardly noticed for his entire being was a taut bow ready to let loose with just the right trigger. 

“Relax,” Naruto cajoled as his hand moved toward Sasuke’s neglected cock to begin stroking. “Take a deep breath and relax…okay? I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

_(deepbreathdeepbreathdeepbreath…aaaah fuck…!)_

Naruto went a little deeper and Sasuke’s hands upon his forearms tightened. Naruto withdrew and pulled back a little. If he noticed he was now bleeding from his shoulder or that Sasuke was watching him with something akin to panic (afraid he was about to call it quits), he ignored it and searched for the bottle of lubricant. 

“Should make things a little easier,” Naruto explained with a playful wink as he covered himself with the last drops until his cock seemed to glisten with the fluid. Sasuke was even tempted to slide back down to his knees to give it another go, but was left gasping as he was placed back into position. This time Naruto was almost half-way in until Sasuke remembered he had to breathe. 

_(oh my God)_

Now he had a better appreciation for BL characters who claimed like they felt they were being split in two. Sasuke had always thought that a little too dramatic, but right now…as Naruto withdrew again –

_(nopleasenopleasenopleaseno)_

…and thrust even deeper, Sasuke could only wrap his arms around his lover’s neck and hope to God he didn’t pass out from sensory overload. All the same, there was pain and considering he had a high threshold for it, it was still enough to have him sucking his breath and pacing himself; for Naruto was doing his best to make him feel comfortable as well. His cock being stroked and fondled was a very pleasant and delightful distraction. 

“…gonna…move…” Naruto grunted after a muffled expletive of how “fucking tight” he was. 

Sasuke felt his waist gripped – as if Naruto hoped to steady himself – and when those hips moved beneath his, Sasuke felt his world take a nose dive into a sea of such sensory delights, he could barely speak or find the voice to cry out. Up and down, up and down, in and out, in and out. Over and over and over again. A once unsteady rhythm soon found them making such magnificent music in mere moments. The pain dulled from its blinding flash of scarlet to a throb of amber. It began its slow ascent to cerulean heights, a crescendo that was heralded by both men making low (and soon louder) sounds of approval. It was a staccato duet of passion, and when Sasuke threw back his head and arched into his lover, he did not care if the entire fucking world knew he was just about to blow into a million smithereens. 

He loved this man.

“Oh God,” someone gasped.

Loved him more than words could ever say.

“Ah…!”

He wrapped his arms around Naruto’s neck and moved in closer…closer still until nothing but a whisper of air separated them. Black with a hint of red met and drowned in twin pools of swirling blues and violets. Sweat-stained foreheads met and stayed connected as hips strained for that final push into completion. Parted lips breathed into each other; words they could not say out loud passing between them anyway.

_(I love you, Uzumaki Naruto. In this present. In that past, and in our future to come. I will always love you)_

And when he swallowed the shocked gasp from the older man’s lips in a passionate kiss, Sasuke knew that this time, there was no mistaking the full depth of his unspoken promise.

_(for all eternity, Uchiha Sasuke, for all eternity)_

 

* * *

 

**Mount Myōboku**

Gamatatsu was the first to notice it. 

Sunbathing next to the steps of the great temple – a wonderful afternoon breeze caressing his leathery orange skin – his nose twitched at the new scent. 

“Hmm?”

He cracked open an eye to glance at the foliage, having to blink a little to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“Eeeh…”

“Whatsa matta, Gamatatsu?” Gamakichi asked as he hopped out to join his younger brother. However, he needn’t have asked as his gaze followed the direction of the pointing webbed finger.

The brothers watched as the seedling continued to push itself out of the earth with stubborn determination. Its stem grew just a little longer, bright green leaves unfurling to wave a shy ‘hello’ to its captive audience. Within the hour, there was yet another sign of life – a swollen bud which began to reveal itself slowly as if being peeled apart by an invisible hand. However, it would go no further than that, though there was no mistaking the faint hue of scarlet peeking through its’ protective cocoon. 

The brothers looked at each other, wearing matching grins. 

Despite it not being as tall as the flower by its side, there was no doubt this new plant was going to be its equal someday. For now, both seemed to bow toward each other in unison, buds touching lovingly in silent homage. 

They would patiently await the return of their owners, and only then would they finally unfurl their beautiful petals in full bloom.

 

_…Time was of no consequence…_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	18. Epilogue: Promise of a Dream

* * *

To Whom It May Concern,

I write to you from a hotel room with a majestic view of the Swiss Alps in the distance. Snow drifts outside the windows, and though I am tucked in bed with a companion who is fast asleep, I wish I could claim this as a honeymoon or something quite as romantic. 

Well…I guess you _could_ consider it romantic considering our location, but we are here on assignment and have been on many assignments for the past three years. 

Yes, three long (and wonderful) years as _partners_ and _lovers_.  
(I do like the sound of that, dear Reader)

With our job complete here in Switzerland - where we exorcised several _yōkai_ (although the Swiss regard such evil spirits as _Krampus_ ) from a village tucked in the mountains – we are ready to move on. It was a rather trying assignment, but we’ve managed to leave unscathed and with satisfied customers. As evidenced with the rather large dinner that was prepared in our honor. My partner had a particular love for their _pastetli_ (a sort of meat pie) and somehow conned his way into getting an extra basket which now sits on the coffee table half-finished. 

(the greedy thing…thought it is rather delicious if I do say so myself)  

A lot has happened since my last letter. Where I was naïve and new to most things at the time, my journeys around the world since then, have opened my eyes and heart to so many things (both good and bad) I could write a novel or two. 

I have become a much better spirit warrior; able to teleport and cast spells should the occasion call for it. Why with such wonderful teachers (excluding the snoring one beside me), I wouldn’t have made it this far. Haruno Sakura and Sai still prove to be invaluable friends (both are prime for senior promotions at S.W.A.T. in the near future). Kakashi maintains his role as a distant but willing mentor (he still travels the globe seeking and assisting other spirit warriors). Mei-chan and Chōjūrō, as well as Chiyo-baasama welcome me with open arms whenever I visit, and of course, there’s Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama who I can always trust to be there for me should I ever need their expert advice. 

I have made other new friends – well, perhaps acquaintances should be the term. The Hyūga clan have overtly tried to woo me into their ranks, but I have politely declined with the promise that I would simply work with their warriors should the need arise. I refuse to be affiliated with any one clan now. After all, the Uchiha blood still runs through my veins, and no matter what dark and troubling history we’ve had, I’m determined to begin a new chapter for _myself_. **I** will forge a new path for my clan in my own way.

Karin has adjusted well to her new life, and though our early conversations were stilted and polite, we’ve become a little more comfortable in each other’s presence. You would be surprised to see how much she’s changed since then. No longer reserved, she’s most likely to lash out and show her vivacious nature should she be provoked or excited about anything. The last I heard was that she was in a relationship with a young man by the name of Hōzuki Suigetsu, something my partner (as honorable big brother) is still scowling about. After all, no man is too good for his precious ‘baby sister’. Personally, I think Suigetsu’s an idiot, but rather useful when occasion calls for it. The only problem is that he’s _human_ , and we worry that their relationship might hit a roadblock should the truth ever be revealed. However, that’s something Karin will have to decide on her own. Big Brother has promised to always be there for her should he be needed.

I apologize, for if you could see me now, I can’t help the smile on my face at the messy blond hair below me. He’s stirring now, so I have to be less noisy so I don’t wake him up. We’ve had a long day – where we spent most of it skiing and getting acquainted with the Alps. It was exhilarating and so has every day been with this man so far. 

What an adventure it’s been.

We’ve walked hand-in-hand down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, trekked the  sprawling northern county of Yorkshire, England, explored the caves in Quang Binh, Vietnam, worshipped at the temples in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and marveled at stunning architecture in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. We’ve made love in the sticky heat of Perth, Australia or beneath the safety of tents in the wild lands of Laikipia Plateau in Kenya. We’ve danced in the streets of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, kissed beneath the stars in Frankfurt, Germany, and skinny-dipped in the waters of the Uruguayan Riviera. He’s whispered words of devotion to me on the lochs and Highlands of Scotland, beneath the dazzling sights and sounds of Chennai, India, or while cruising along the gentle waters of the Mekong River. 

And with every moment spent together, I get to learn more about this teacher, partner, and lover of mine. I marvel at just how knowledgeable he is; how he’s able to speak each native tongue, know its cultures, and assimilate easily. It’s a reminder that he has lived for a long time, and that there is still so much more I could learn from him. All the same, I have long known he is no saint, and there are days when we get into arguments and fights over the littlest things. When that happens, either he or I take off for days at a time in an attempt to get our ‘space’. Fortunately, those separation periods never last too long. Surely you must have heard the saying about how make-up sex always turns out to be the best, right? Well, there’s no use denying that when it comes to us, dear Reader. I’m beginning to think we should fight more often. 

In more somber (yet relieved) news, I finally got to learn of just where Itachi’s remains were kept. 

Absolutely _nowhere_ yet _everywhere_.

My brother’s final days were spent at the private residence of a retired doctor introduced by Kakashi. Despite my insistence to remain by his side at all times, he would always urge me to go to school and not to worry too much about him. Despite how sickly and emaciated he became, he always fussed over me as he always had. 

I would learn of his passing on a bitter winter evening, just as I ran back to our apartment after school to change my clothes. Kakashi was sitting by the doorway and just one look was enough to tell me the horrible news. 

“The doctor took him away,” Kakashi had said at the time; ignoring all my desperate pleas for him to let me know where my brother’s remains were. In time, I chose to believe that wherever he was, he was at least happier than he ever was while alive, and perhaps I would have gone on living in blissful oblivion if Naruto hadn’t brought it up again that night.

As it turns out, my brother had requested that Kakashi cremate his body and spread his ashes upon the sea; a secret to be kept even from Naruto. Itachi had never been one to try to conform to rules if they didn’t suit him, so why allow himself to be ‘trapped’ six feet under for all eternity? His dying wish to be ‘free’ from the chains that had bound him to duty while alive was carried out in a quiet and unassuming ceremony. He wanted to spare Naruto the pain of his decision as well as to prevent greedy clans from getting a hold of his body to uncover its secrets. 

“I apologize for having to lie to you both,” Kakashi had admitted when he finally came clean. “I will take full responsibility for Itachi’s wrath should we ever get to meet in the afterlife.”

Naruto and I couldn’t remain  upset with him even if we wanted to, and chose instead to sit on the picturesque cliffs of Kasumi Coast in silence; watching the sea for hours on end as if hoping to hear Itachi speak to us. And perhaps he did – at least I’d like to think he did. My only fear was that Naruto would revert back to his old self, longing after my brother and what they might have had. Did a part of him regret not fighting harder for Itachi’s survival? Was he regretting not being by Itachi’s side in those final moments? Was he wishing that things had been different? That it was Itachi by his side and not me?

I was so worried (and scared) he was thinking the latter, that I was tempted to excuse myself to give him the privacy he needed. However, as dusk fell fast and a slight chill filled the air, I felt the sudden warmth of his jacket draped over me and the gentle grip of his hand as he squeezed mine and held on tight. 

“Let’s go home, Sasuke,” he had invited with a tender smile. Four simple words that brought a hard lump to my throat. I could only nod and follow, not wanting to show him how happy his words had made me as we walked away from ‘our past’ and toward a new future we hoped to carve for ourselves.

Come tomorrow, we’ll be in a small village close to Krabi, Thailand, for yet another assignment which might leave us battered and bruised once complete. But trust me when I say I would have this no other way. I am as happy and content as anyone in my position could be. I have a man who cherishes and embraces all my strengths and flaws, and whose flaws are still so many it would take a lifetime to fix them all. 

But hey…that’s exactly what we have, isn’t it? An eternity and beyond to work on our beautiful imperfections…

* * *

“…whaareyouwritin’?” came the muffled complaint against his stomach. 

“A letter,” Sasuke replied. “I’m almost done…hey! Naruto!” He giggled helplessly as a wandering hand traveled beneath the blanket to caress a rather sensitive part of him. “Cut that out.” 

He tried to push away the hand, but Naruto nuzzled closer and tried to lift his head to peek at the letter. “Lemme see…”

“No! Go back to sleep.” Sasuke held the notepad and pen above his head with a pout. “I just have a few more lines left. Honest.”

“Mmm…whatever…” He placed a hard kiss on Sasuke’s torso and slid lower until he was completely hidden beneath the thick comforter. What he did next nearly had Sasuke bucking off the bed with a soft gasp and quivering moan.

_Damn him…_

“Narutoooo,” he pleaded breathlessly.

“Write faster then,” came the muffled cheeky response.

“I hate you so fucking mu…shit!”

_(what the hell am I going to do with you?)_

* * *

Unfortunately, dear Reader, I’ll have to stop now. It’s getting a little difficult to concentrate, and I doubt you’ll even be able to make out these words should you ever get a chance to read this.

However, I implore you to remain diligent and aware of your surroundings, for _we_ just might be that slight gust of wind to brush your skin when you least expect.

Farewell for now,  
Until we meet again.

 

Uchiha Sasuke  
St. Moritz, Switzerland  
12/3/xx


End file.
